#and I don’t have space for a larger tank

[spw-art]

Teaching him

[jobean12-blog]

Slow Ride

Pairing: Joel Miller x female reader

Word Count: 3,002

Summary: Joel picks you up (sorta rescues you) and your attraction to him is instant even with the state of the world, but does he feel the same?

Author's Note: Honestly, my friend @lizette50 shared the gif below with me and just his hands on that steering wheel sparked 3k words of nonsense. I'm not only obsessed with his neck but also his hands (and the rest of him!) Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy 💕

Warnings: there's some tension- both sexual and other, softness, grumpy Joel, flirting

The gif below is from pinterest HERE

Pedro Pascal Character Masterlist

The sound of tires on the road draws your attention from your hiding spot but when they skid to a stop you stay in your unseen position and sneak a look. You can never be too careful and staying hidden and quiet has been an essential part of your survival so far.

But all your rational thoughts drain and every muscle in your body coils tightly as you lay eyes on the man that steps out of the old truck.

Before anything else registers, you notice the way he moves. His long, thick legs carry him surely toward the nearest broken-down car and when he bends over to check the gas tank you get a glimpse of his ass in the tight jeans.

With a huff of frustration he straightens and walks toward another car, this one closer to you, and you can see the hard set of his jaw, his eyes much the same as they scan his surroundings.

You can’t stop your gaze from tracking down over his broad shoulders and wide chest.

Without remembering to keep quiet you shift to get a better look and accidentally knock into a rusty metal part, sending it careening down to the pavement with a loud clang.

His gun is out and cocked before you even register your error and with shaky hands you stand up and reveal yourself.

He locks eyes with you across the small space of separation and you have the satisfaction of watching his shoulders relax and his eyes slowly peruse you from head to toe. Perhaps it was merely to check if you were armed…or infected…or maybe he just wanted to look.

Either way, it sets your nerve ends tingling and when his gaze lingers, warmth races across your skin.

“I’m not a threat,” you say, squaring your shoulders but keeping your arms and hands high above your head.

He still doesn’t speak and keeps the gun trained on you, his expression wary.

“I promise. I’m just trying to get to Jackson.”

At the mention of Jackson, his eyes narrow and he steps closer. You don’t budge.

“How do I know you’re not infected?” he asks.

“Well, I’m all alone and have been for days. I’d let you check me out but we just met…usually I have a man at least take me out to dinner first.”

Your joke gets the opposite reaction you hoped for. His jaw clenches and his teeth grind under the pressure.

“I do need a ride though.”

You lower your hands, smoothing them over your hips and brushing the dust from your knees.

“That is, if you don’t mind me bumming one.”

Your hope starts to slip with his extended silence.

He finally drops the gun and pinches the bridge of his nose.

You slowly walk forward and extend your hand to introduce yourself. He stares at it for a moment before taking it in his larger one.

“Joel,” he rumbles.

“You wouldn’t leave a girl stranded, would you Joel?”

“Fine. Get movin’.”

You slide a glance across the console of the rattling old pick-up truck and watch him under the cover of your lashes. He hasn’t looked at you once since loading you into the vehicle, instead keeping his dark eyes glued to the road, jaw still tight with obvious tension.

You were sure you caught him giving you another once over when you bent down to sift through your bag but by the time you felt his stare and peeked his way he was muttering something incoherent and running a rough hand through his hair.

“So…” you start, turning his way slightly. “How long is the ride?”

He shoots you a look that says, “are you serious?”

“Shouldn’t take us more than a day.” He grinds his teeth, something you’ve come to notice he does often, and lifts his eyes to the rearview mirror. “Long as we don’t run inta any trouble.”

“I see…” You cross your legs, hoping to appear relaxed. “Maybe we’ll see something cool on the way.”

His bushy eyebrows shoot up to his hairline but he doesn’t grace you by meeting your eyes when he asks, “ever been to Wyoming?”

You’re surprised silence keeps you quiet for longer than you mean to be and you see his hands flex on the steering wheel.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to ask me any questions.”

He sends you an unamused look. “Ain’t one for much talkin’ these days.”

You nod in understanding but don’t hide your smile. “And no, I haven’t. But I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

“What do you plan on doin’ when we get there?”

With a shrug you turn to look out the window, tracing your finger down a smear of dirt on the other side of the glass.

“Help out of course…and I was hoping I could do some planting. You know grow food…or something like that...breed animals…farm?”

Your thoughts trail off as you realize how silly and inadequate your plan sounds but you turn when you feel the heavy weight of his stare and realize he’s studying you.

“You know you should keep your eyes on the road,” you say with a half-hearted smile.

He stares for a beat longer before turning his attention back to driving.

“Yeah because there’s so many other cars out here.”  

You gasp. “He makes a joke? Pull over, I think I’m feeling dizzy.”

He merely grunts in reply but you’re sure you catch the side of his mouth twitching with a smile.

“What do you plan on growin’? The weather can be pretty harsh in the winters.”

“Do you really want to know?”

He frowns at the windshield.

You let out a yielding sigh and start to rattle off a list.

“I dunno…I was thinking maybe…mangoes, bananas, pineapple! Oh kiwi!”

At his dark look you smile brightly to assure him you’re joking.

“Very funny.”

“About time you noticed.”

His gaze turns from the road back to you, raking down your body and back up to meet your face.

“Oh, I noticed sweetheart.”

The interior of the truck suddenly becomes too hot and you start to crack the window for some fresh cool air.

You try your best to settle into the seat and focus on the rush of the scenery, letting the tension filled silence stretch until he speaks again.

“What are you thinkin’ about over there?”

Unsure of where to take the conversation after that unexpected turn, you fall back on your humor.

“Kiwis..and mangoes and bananas..”

This time you see the corners of his eyes crinkle with a genuine smile and you cheer inwardly.

His hand relaxes on the steering wheel before tightening again, long fingers wrapping easily around the worn leather as he slowly slides along the curve, the action drawing your attention and holding it.

His hands are big, dwarfing the wheel with rough and calloused fingers. Your thoughts quickly drift away from tropical fruits and fill with the fantasy of how it would feel if he touched your bare skin.

You seek the air from the window but find it too warm and gently press the back of your hand to your cheek. Your skin is hot and it does nothing to alleviate the feeling so you let your hand drift to the top buttons of your shirt and undo them, leaving the material agape.

When he shifts in the driver’s seat you try not too look. Try not to notice the way his legs are spread wide and his jeans pull tightly between them.

He turns and catches you staring, holding your gaze before his drops to your lips. The hot look in his eyes, the one that continues to dip and linger on your exposed neckline, is hard to ignore and your breath hitches.

By the time you reach Jackson the air inside the truck is thick with tension and you throw the door open and take a deep inhale.

Tommy runs to greet Joel, his eyes shifting to you suspiciously. They talk in hushed voices, Joel standing with his head cocked, hands on hips and signature clenched jaw.

Tommy finally smiles your way and walks over to greet you. He’s handsome and much friendlier than Joel and you instantly feel welcome.

“I can’t believe you survived the whole ride with him,” Tommy jokes.

A laugh bubbles from your throat.

“I see you inherited all the charm and wit.”

Tommy’s smile widens and he casually throws an arm over your shoulder as he leads you into the town.

“I like her better than you already,” he shoots over his shoulder at Joel, who follows your steps with a scowl.

After you get settled in your new place Joel comes to retrieve you for a bite to eat.

“Hungry?” he asks

“Starving actually.”

His dark eyes study you before he gestures toward the large bar/hall with an arm held out. You walk ahead and feel the press of his hand at your lower back as he reaches to open the door for you.

You lean into his touch and search the space, feeling slightly overwhelmed as several sets of unknown eyes turn to examine you.

Joel’s fingers splay at your back, sending tingles along your spine, then slide over to the curve of your waist. He pulls you into his side and walks you to an empty table.

“Don’t mind them,” he whispers. “They aren’t used to new people.”

You nod and miss his touch instantly as he releases you to pull out your chair. Your meal is eaten in relative silence but you don’t miss how his eyes drift to you at every opportunity.

“You know,” he starts, surprising you once again by speaking first, “if you need help building anythin’ for your plants…your mangoes, I can help.”

You giggle at his joke and lean in closer.

“Do you know a lot about farming?”

He pauses with the spoon half way to his mouth and the corner of his lips lift slightly.

“Enough.”

You let out a playful scoff. “That’s convincing.”

“I can definitely build you plant beds…”

“I’ll take any help I can get,” you say with a smile.

The next week goes by in a blur of meeting new people and adjusting to new routines. You still can’t believe you’ve found a safe place to be. It may not last forever but for now you’re going to be nothing but grateful.

You seek Joel out regularly, stealing as much time with him as you can even if he remains quiet more often than not. He’s more talkative than before and always answers your questions, adding an occasional playful joke here or there, but seems to prefer the comfortable silence between the two of you.

It’s on one particularly warm and sunny morning that Joel scratches at the back of his neck, a feeling of anxiousness crawling over his skin. He tries to tamp down the twitch of alarm but it’s useless, the sense only growing stronger as more time passes.

Where did you say you’d be this morning?

He drops the tool from his hand and heads for the old barn shed, remembering your words about looking for some old planting equipment. He’s almost at the partially closed doors when he hears voices. At first he can’t make out the words since they are hushed but when he hears your clear, “no, move,” he pushes open the doors with a bang.

He enters the barn with his fingers digging into his palms and his breath coming in deep through his nose. Your eyes shoot wide when you see him and Jack, the man who has you cornered, follows your line of vision and steps back immediately.

“You ok sweetheart?” Joel asks through clenched teeth.

You look at Jack and narrow your eyes. “I am now.”

“We were just…” Jack starts.

Joel holds up his hand and steps closer to Jack. “If you ever have trouble understanding the word ‘no,’ again, I’ll be more than happy to explain what it means.”

Jack stiffens at Joel’s dangerous tone and warning words and with a barely perceptible nod he walks out without looking back.

Joel’s eyes follow him until he’s out of sight then he moves purposefully toward you with long strides.

“I’m sorry,” Joel says quietly. “Are you ok?”

“You’re sorry?” you repeat. “But…”

“I didn’t warn you. I shouldn’t have let him within ten feet of you.”

“Well you took care of it. I don’t think he’ll ever come near me again.”

“Better not,” he grits out. “Or he’ll have to deal with me.”

A small smile plays upon your lips and you take a step closer, resting your hands on his biceps.

“I should be thanking you.”

You stare up at him and in a move he never expects you lift your hands to his hair and slide them through his soft curls, pulling him down for a kiss.

For a moment you think he’s going to pull back but when your tempting curves mold to his body and you let out a soft moan he smooths one hand up your back and the other around your waist, tucking you into him as he deepens the kiss.

You whisper his name, brushing your lips to his and getting some air before you kiss him again. He walks backward until you hit the wooden wall behind you, his entire body slotted against yours so you can feel every inch of him.

“Fuck,” he groans out, maintaining intense eye contact when he traces your jaw with his thumb then gently sweeps it across your swollen lips.

“Been wantin’ to kiss you since the moment I laid eyes on you sweetheart,” he admits.

“Just kiss me?” you ask, trapping your bottom lip between your teeth.

He dips his head, his nose softly bumping yours as his lips hover above yours.

“No…not just…”

“JOEL?!”

At the sound of Tommy’s loud call Joel grumbles a curse and rests his forehead to yours. He reluctantly steps away but takes your hand in his and lifts it to his mouth, gently kissing your palm and then the curve of your fingertips.

He doesn’t say anything as he backs away and disappears between the doors with a tender release of your hand. You remain rooted in place, unable to do more than press your tingling fingers to your tingling lips.

When the rest of the day passes without any sign of Joel you start to worry you imagined the spark between you and maybe pushed him too far. Dinner time comes and goes and you still don’t see him but before you head to your small house to retire for the night you catch Tommy’s wife, Maria, outside and rush over to ask her if she’s seen Joel.

Her expression is somber before she answers.

“They left this morning,” she says quietly as she delicately rubs her belly.

“Left?”

Maria nods. “Trouble at the border. Tommy wouldn’t get into details but he seemed worried.”

You swallow thickly and thank her, letting her know to get you if she needs anything. Once you’re back inside your place you lean against the door and go over every interaction and every word, although few, between you and Joel.

Why didn’t he tell you and say goodbye? When would he be back? He had to come back…

Two full days pass with no sign of them. You linger at the window every morning and night, hoping to hear the distinct clop of hooves on the dirt.

It isn’t until midnight comes and goes and the clear sky is filled with twinkling bright stars that you’re awakened by the sound of a heavy knock at your door.

You startle from your sleeping spot on the couch and listen again, wondering if it’s your imagination.

Knock, knock.

“Sweetheart. It’s me. Let me in.”

You stand just beyond the threshold, your fingers hovering over the doorknob.

“Open the door for me darlin.’ I have to see you.”

The lock turns and very slowly the door opens.

You’re standing there in his flannel, barefoot and fragile.

“You’re back,” you state, your tone wary.

He waits for any sign of apprehension then brushes past you and spins around, taking you with him and bracing one large hand above your head to push the door closed with a click.

When he leans in closer and crowds you against the hard surface your lips part in awareness and his mouth grazes yours gently.

“I’m sorry I didn’t find you before I left.”

“Joel,” you start, shaking your head. “You don’t owe me any goodbyes…”

“But?” he adds.

“I was so worried…and I missed you.”

His fingers fall to the buttons of his shirt, slipping through the large openings at your waist and coasting over the front of your panties.

“Missed you too sweetheart. Been thinkin’ about how sweet those lips taste for the last two damn days.”

Without wasting another moment he brings his mouth down on yours, a low groan spilling from his throat. His hands cradle your face, his lips trailing along your jaw to your ear.

“Are you gonna let me find out if you’re sweet all over? he whispers.

Instead of answering, you thread your fingers through his hair and tug him down for another searing kiss. He presses you harder against the door and circles his hips so you can feel him hard along your stomach.

“You gonna give me a nice little taste darlin’?”

Your fingernails lightly drag down his chest, watching as his eyes darken and the muscles in his throat work over his hard swallow.

When your hands fall to the first closed button of his shirt, the one you’re still wearing, he groans and let’s his gaze fall to track the movement. You slowly unbutton it and drag a finger down, parting the fabric until you reach the next button and do the same, inch by inch exposing your bare skin.

“Fuck sweetheart, you’re drivin’ me outta my goddamn mind.”

@hiddles-rose @lorilane33 @kmc1989

[ghostofskywalker]

….I believe this is where to drop requests….

{this is a bad batch request} I have two small prompt ideas (it doesn’t have to be both), the rest I shall leave to your artistic liberty: “Medics need medics too, sometimes.” & “our scars show how we’ve learned and grown.”

hello! i used the first prompt, i hope you enjoy!! side note: this fic is hunter-focused :)

words: 714

summary: after you get injured on a mission, you try to take care of it yourself. hunter doesn't let that happen.

clone troopers masterlist

Stubborn Medic

As you sprinted back to the Marauder, you could feel one of the droids’ blaster bolts sting your shoulder, and you just tried to ignore the pain until you were on the ship. Hunter ran up the ramp after you, and soon Tech was bringing the ship into hyperspace, setting course back to Ord Mantell. You felt the pain in your arm begin to amplify as you set down the bag you were carrying and immediately headed towards your bunk, not even bothering to say anything to the rest of the batch. 

There was a medkit that you kept under your bunk, a small and simple one for when you didn’t want to have to go through the trouble of finding the larger one you kept around for more serious injuries. You knew that there were a few bacta patches in the kit, and you really hoped that those (along with a day or two of rest) were all you needed to get yourself feeling better again. You changed into a tank top and began to look through the kit, gathering everything you would need to clean and cover the injury.

As the team’s medic, it didn’t feel right to ask for anyone’s help, because you were the one who was most qualified to handle it. You know they would help you if you said something, that wasn’t the question, but you still felt a little bit useless sometimes on the ship, especially because all of the others had such useful enhancements. Half the time, the scrapes and bruises that the team sustained were so minor that they were able to patch themselves up, and you wondered why you had been assigned to them as a permanent medic. 

Right as you had finished cleaning the wound (to the best of your ability, because it was in a bit of an awkward location), you heard someone step into the room and Hunter’s voice fill the space. “What are you doing?” 

“I got hit with a blaster bolt out there,” you said matter-of-factly, as you peeled a bacta patch off its paper. “I was just patching myself up.” 

“Did you clean the wound?” Hunter asked, and you looked at him like he had grown a second head as you held up the medkit’s cleaning wipe. “Because there’s still some blood on your arm.”

“Oh,” you said, mentally kicking yourself for not doing a better job. “I’ll just-” 

“Here, let me help you,” Hunter said, taking the wipe out of your hand and gently running it on the skin surrounding your wound. You were about to protest, but it was all happening so quickly, and the feeling of the antiseptic against the raw skin made you wince. 

While you couldn’t categorize the relationship you shared with the squad’s sergeant, it was certainly different than the one you had with the rest of the squad. “Mesh’la,” he said, his voice quiet as he took the bacta patch from your hand and started to apply it to your wound. “Why didn’t you ask for help?” 

You sniffled, and whether it was from the pain or the emotions you were currently feeling you didn’t know. “I thought I should be able to handle it myself,” you responded. “It is my job on this squad after all, and you don’t need to worry about me.” 

“I hate to break it to you, but I’ll always worry about you,” Hunter said, and he sat down next to you on your bunk. Instinctively, you leaned into his side. “And medics need medics too sometimes.” 

“I know, but I thought I could handle it.” 

“I’ve seen you patch up injuries way worse than that, so there’s no doubt in my mind that you couldn’t, but I wanted to help you,” he said. He leaned down to place a soft kiss on your forehead, and you nearly combusted into flames right then and there. “You should get some sleep, sergeant’s orders.” 

Maybe on another day you would have argued a little with him, but the excitement of the day and the adrenaline rush from the mission had long since worn off, and you were really tired.

As you drifted off to dreamland, you couldn’t stop thinking about the feeling of his lips on your skin.

- the end -

[abibliophobiaa]

Talking in Your Sleep

- eddie munson x afab!reader; 80s summer slasher au.

(Coming 6/25/2023)

Preview below the cut… 🛶🏕️

——

The door opens and you really shouldn’t be surprised to see Eddie. Eddie’s standing there in a Metallica tank top, the sides cut for a larger hole, revealing the smattering of ink across his form. Heart clenching, you rise to your feet as Chrissy opens the door further and urges him into the open space, your arms circling his waist as he draws you flush against his chest. A hand rests on the nape of your neck, the other rubbing a slow circle between your shoulder blades.

Chrissy whistles a tune unfamiliar as she makes her way back to her bed, kicking her feet up on a pillow. Feeling your cheeks warm, you step back, mindful of your company. Circling your palm in his own, you drag him onto the front step of your cabin, taking in the glow of the moonlight up above. Wings of fireflies bat around you, their glowing bulbs flickering around the lamp hanging on the porch, a moonlit song only they know.

“I wanted to check up on you,” he says once the screen door is shut behind him, palm coming to rest on your cheek. “He’s an asshole. With that whole Henry Creel bullshit.”

“I’m okay,” you promise, leaning up to press your lips to his. “Don’t wanna talk about him.”

“Think Chrissy will let me stay tonight?” he murmurs, forehead pressing to yours. His nose slides down the bridge of yours, prods at your cheek until your lips twitch into a smile. His teeth flash with his grin at that. “There she is.”

“You're on duty,” you remind him, though the idea is tempting.

Summer before being Eddie’s girlfriend was one thing, your first summer as his girlfriend is another. Separation feels daunting. The craving to be near is stronger now than ever before.

“The little gremlins can survive one night with Steve.”

“Eddie…” He buries his face against your shoulder, swaying you left to right in his arms. “Thanks for coming. But I promise I’m fine. Plus, I think I actually made a new friend tonight.”

“You and Cunningham, hmm?”

“She’s…she’s actually really nice.”

“I’m glad.” His head shifts, lips pressing into your neck until you wriggle and writhe in his arms, earning a chuckle out of the man. “I’ll miss you. Maybe you’ll come visit me in my dreams.”

“You’re such a sap, Munson.” Nose wrinkling, you reach up to comb at the curls tickling your cheek. “Who knew?”

“There are exceptions to every rule.”

You grin, heart fluttering away in your chest as he takes a step back and makes his way down the stairs leading to your cabin. There are three words that bubble on your lips, three words you’ve never shared with anyone before. And it’s fitting they form for this man, this person.

But it’s not time. Not yet. So instead you lean your elbows onto the railing and blow him a kiss, snorting as he dramatically smacks it against his chest and falls backward into a heap on the forest floor below.

“Go, shoo,” you tease, giggling as he rolls over and pushes himself onto all fours, shaking out his hair.

“You wound me, sweetheart.”

Three words.

Not now.

“Goodnight, Ed.”

He grins. Waves.

Three beautiful words.

But you have all the time in the world anyway; there’s no rush.

“Goodnight.”

——

[invertebrates]

bug toys!

alright, here’s my mini-guide to getting into the world of Weirdly Articulated, almost entirely Japanese bug toys.

some caveats:

1) most of these toys aren’t great for kids. they have a lot of small lose-able, breakable, poke-able parts and can fall apart pretty easily. 2) i’m in the US, so i’m not quite sure how to acquire these things if ebay and Buyee don’t work for you 3) ‘bugs’ for the purpose of this guide (and entire blog tbh) is any invertebrate why would i want fake bugs when i can get real bugs? 1) fake bugs don’t die and can be neglected forever. they will never bite, sting, poop on you, or be stinky (unless you make them stinky) 2) fake bugs can be handled constantly, they will not get stressed out or pick up any germs from you 3) fake bugs can be much larger than real bugs, or be species that would be impossible or unethical to own or breed. they can even be fun made up creatures 4) fake bugs don’t require any kind of tank, substrate or food, and they will not breed uncontrollably (or at all) 5) they cannot escape and become an invasive species 6) buying them doesn’t support shady or unethical ‘breeders’ who just take bugs from the wild (not saying all bug breeders do this, but it’s definitely a problem with certain kinds of bugs)

this is not to discourage any responsible bug-culturing you might want to get into, but for me, as a pretty depressed person without a lot of space, these are all big plusses!

onto the fake bugs

ikimono encyclopedia

unfortunately these photos will be some dark toys against dark backgrounds because i am a goth bastard and everything i own is black. sorry.

so, these being Japanese toys, I’m not entirely sure of the correct terms for them. these are pretty much just the search terms I’ve discovered over time that work to find them. as far as I can tell, Japan LOVES bugs and has a very enviable appreciation for them, they don’t seem to be considered nearly as gross or weird or bad as they are in the west.

these are a series gachapon or capsule toys. you can get all kinds of awesome little toys, which are often strangely detailed and often high quality, from vending machines in Japan.

here are some current listings from ebay to give you an idea of the variety and prices:

they also have a lot of cool fish and reptiles in this series. prices can be a bit steep, but you’re usually buying the whole set of toys pictured, not just a one-off. they’re usually a few inches, pretty well painted and articulated, and come as individually wrapped kits you have to put together. i will say, sometimes it is hard to snap the legs into place, so if you have hand/joint issues you might need some help putting them together. usually, a lot of these toys might be the same model but repainted, and sometimes there’s duplicates. the two mantises in my photo are from a set of 6, and there were 3 sets of 2 identical boys, so I could display one with the wings out and another one folded. they’ll also sometimes come with a little piece of clear plastic and a stand you can pose them on top of.

just from the sheer variety they offer, and relative affordability, this would probably be my first recommendation for getting into bug toys. they have beetles, mantids, caterpillars, wasps, ispods, crabs... i’d love some myriapod sets but we’ll see!

i usually grab these guys off ebay. they’re also available on Buyee and there may be more, cheaper options over there, but I’ve noticed with the import/holding fees, buyee and ebay come out to be about the same most of the time. (for anyone confused, Buyee is an English import service that lets you buy stuff off Japanese sites and auctions, since a lot of Japanese sites only want to ship inside Japan)

these are also just the gachapon bug toys from one specific company. there’s OTHER companies making other sets of really good bugs but I’ve had so much luck with just this one term I haven’t branched out much yet.

Fujimi Living Thing Arc

these are slightly bigger models made out of slightly harder plastic (well, the mantis is bigger; beetles are about the same as the ikimono guys) that are a bit more intricate to put together. they come with assembly instructions, but of course they’re in Japanese. you can pretty much follow along with the pictures though. the painting details aren’t quite as nice, but they have a bit more articulation. not as many choices with this set, though they do have a crawfish I wanna snag. they also have some goofy JP style monster dinos.

i bought these guys off hlj.com but it looks like they’re on ebay(and buyee as well I’m sure)

Revoltech RevoGeo

you’ll probably recognize this name if you’re into transformers or other toy collecting. these guys are gonna be by far the most expensive ($90-$120+) but they are extremely large and high quality. this one is super articulated, the individual leg joints and mandibles move, wings move, about the only thing that isn’t articulated are the individual little tarsomeres/feet segments or the abdomen segments. not as much choice here either, I think they have a beetle, ants, crab and a scorpion plus this wasp. these also come mostly assembled, you can usually just snap the wings on or maybe swap out a few parts (iirc this gal’s stinger can be removed)

i got her off bigbadtoystore.com, though they may be available cheaper elsewhere. BBTS is infamously a bit pricier than other toy stores but they’ve always been very reliable and quick for me.

this BIG isopod

this one won’t be as helpful. these may be part of the same series as the ikimono (they were just labeled bandai gachapon) but they are much larger, this guy’s like 5″, came fully assembled and is pretty articulated. they can even roll into a ball! all their little legs move! i’m pretty sure they’re meant to be one of the large deep sea isopods and man, a 1:1 revoltech model of one of those would be a dream.

completely fake bugs!

had to share my little starship trooper warrior bug collection :^) the big one and the one directly under it are 90s kenner toys I believe, the bottom-right one is a funko, the red one is from a tabletop set, and the guy on the left is a figma model that is unfortunately ridiculously expensive nowadays.

one nice thing about fake real bugs: there is not a crazy collectors market for this so this stuff should stay pretty affordable. unless real normal bugs somehow become a huge pop sensation i think it’s just us weird nerds that are into them.

other search terms to try: bandai insect insect gachapon (or gashapon) nature gachapon

that way you may be able to track down listings for individual toys that should be a bit cheaper! here’s a sample what bandai insect got me on ebay:

happy fake bug collecting!

you may noticed I haven’t mentioned one form of bug that has a lot of the same advantages as plastic bugs: dead pinned insects in shadowboxes. i do have some of these, but i am reluctant to support places selling them nowadays because few are ethically or responsibly sourced, and the same sellers often kill and sell endangered bats and other vertebrates for display. plus mites got into half the ones i had and turned them into dead bug dust. if mites ever develop a taste for plastic i will be sad about my collection but the world will be saved from a lot of nasty garbage so it would ultimately be a Plus.

so unless you personally know the person that pinned the insect, i would be very cautious about buying dead things from random online stores or dealers at ‘curiosity’ or ‘oddity’ shows and things like that, since it’s all sourced from alibaba and whatnot anyway. i swear i saw like 5 different people selling the same dead octopuses in orbs at the last curiosity show i went to. they are cool, but i have no idea where those octopuses came from and i doubt the people selling them did either.

[jakesullysleftnipple]

Mission With Miles

Chapter 9 (Bonding With The Beast): 

a/n: I haven't written smut in a while so if it sounds off I'm sorry- but this chapter is NSFW.

Warnings// some degrading, heavily implied primal kink, size difference, fingering, praise, desperate Miles, teasing.

“It’s about damn time, took us long enough.”

Those were the first words Miles said once you two finally made it to your destination. He wasted no time to head in front of you and open up the door. You followed him, getting one last glimpse of Pandora. Once inside and the door was secured you pulled off your mask. Taking a deep breath of the cool air that circled around the building. It was so refreshing compared to the mask air, you continued taking deep and long breaths as you slowly waltzed around this building. 

“Don’t wander too far now, still gotta take care of those wounds alright?”

“Hm? Oh, sure thing miles.”

You responded only to do the exact opposite. Instead of sitting still, you decided to explore the small facility further. While Miles sat down trying to communicate and reach out to Lyle you had already placed down your pack and vest and gone into the next room. It was relatively small compared to the home base, this was only made for a small group of people. It was cold, not an eerie cold but more of an untouched, unbothered chill. Nothing seemed touched in months but everything was well stocked. Food, water, supplies, you name it. After a few minutes, you found yourself in the linking room. Each one of the linking chambers had a thin coat of dust on it, proving that this place hadn’t been touched in ages. Your hands traced the roof of the chamber, getting coated in the dust. You haven’t yet been linked to an avatar but it was in the works thanks to your impressive work so far. Just the thought of having your own avatar was like a dream, so close but yet so far. As you continued to fantasize about your soon-to-come future, Miles was in the next room still struggling to contact Lyle.

“Well, ain’t this a bitch..Must’ve got a bad signal or something. Better not be ignoring my calls on purpose.”

He grumbled under his breath as he pushed back from his spot. His fingers ran up and down the short hairs on his head as he stared up at the ceiling, trying not to let this bother him too badly. He grabbed his oxygen tank and took a few deep breaths in it, his na’vi lungs feeling tight from the lack of proper oxygen for his form. Instead of trying again, he decided to tend to your wounds instead. He had thought you were still in the room but nope, you had disappeared into the facility. 

“Y/N! Bring your ass!”

He shouted out, not wanting to get up from his spot. Once you heard his booming voice echo through the building you got up from your spot in the link room and walked quickly to meet him. From the sound of his voice, you assumed he was upset with you but that wasn’t the case. 

“What's up, you need something?”

“Yeah, sit down, and let's fix you up.”

“Oh shoot, right.”

You had completely forgotten about the injuries you had on your hands and arm. You grew numb to the pain plus seeing all of what Pandora had to hold made you forget about it. Looking down at your hands made your brain refocus on the aching, blood-pumping feeling that was in your hands and wrists. Fortunately, there was a chair nearby so you took a seat and waited for Miles to do his part. He went to the med bay and pulled out several materials needed to fix you up. It took no longer than a few minutes before he was back in front of you. His larger build and height made it difficult to squeeze through and duck in some spaces. He then sat down and got to work on your wounds. Take off the old bandages and apply cream and other antibiotics to the tattered skin. He was quick but surprisingly gentle as he did so. Thankfully it didn’t cause you any more pain and you were all patched up soon after. 

“There, how’s that?”

“Good, Thank you, Miles.”

“No problem y/n, I take care of my own. That's now including you.”

He gave you another genuine smile as his hand crept onto your shoulder. Giving it a firm and reassuring squeeze. The way his fingers gripped your shoulder sent a warm tingle through your body. Your body relaxed into his grip, slowly losing tension in your muscles. He picked up on your slow relaxation in his touch, letting his hands continue to feel against the warmth of your skin. His skin was cold and rough, just like his personality but at this moment he wasn't cold nor harsh to you. He was kind, gentle, and enthralled by you. As his hands explored you his eyes did the same, staying glued to the sweet features that you possessed. Slowly his figure towered over you as you sat in the chair across from him. It was like he was acting purely on his instincts the way his body inched closer to you. Like you were the prey and he was the predator ready to strike. You however are still in the chair, your body slowly being pulled from it by him. When your eyes looked up to meet his he was already staring down at you. His bright yellow eyes look so hungry and needy for you. 

“Fuck.. I’ve been wanting to be alone with you for so long…”

As he spoke his words were heavy and shaky, his lips quivering with anticipation. Now he's got you fully out of the chair and onto the table right in front of him. His arms wrapped around you and his head buried in the crook of your neck, taking in all of your natural scent. He brushed his head and cheek against your warm flesh like a cat would. Your body's warmth only grows the more he let lose and lets all his inner needs come forth. The way his body clung to you so desperately was almost unreal, this man one of high authority was now desperately gripping and grasping every part of you. He didn’t care or thought about stopping, he had you in his clutches and nothing would take you away from him. His breath snarled as he started to nip at your neck. His fangs gently pierced your skin but not puncturing it. As he nibbles on your neck like a hungry animal, your free hand cupped the back of his neck, brushing your fingers against his braid and short stubble hair. Pushing his face deeper into the crook of your neck, needing, yearning for the feeling of his teeth again. Even with a simple gesture like that it drives him crazy with love and lust for you. It was hard to contain himself, as his frustrations let loose, he bit the tender skin of your neck, placing sweet kisses all over it. Small drops of blood slipped down off your neck and onto his lip but that wouldn’t stop him. instead of stopping he'd just lick the blood up and proceed leaving marks on your skin. A whine that sounds like music to his ears leaves your lips as he bites down on your neck. The arch deepening in your back and your leg squeezing together in response to his bite.

“Oh no don’t do that..spread them for me..”

You didn’t have the chance to react before he slipped his fingers between your legs and spread them. There was no resistance in you, you let him take control and move you in the ways he wanted. From where you were placed you couldn’t see the tent that slowly grew in his pants, It begged to break free and feel you around it but he wouldn't rush this. He wanted to make this last and get you ready to take all of him. His teeth and tongue marked all over your neck and shoulder, his hand gripped your thighs tenderly, his tail whipping slowly through the air as excitement broiled inside of him. The way your body reacted to his touch made his body react in an animalistic manner, lunging forward and pinning you down to the table. He pulled your body in and pressed his body against you. He was so hungry for you, he needed you, he wanted to have you all to himself, he had to. 

“You don’t know how hard is it to keep myself from devouring you, Please let me have you...I need every inch of your body to feed my hunger. May I have you to fulfill this growing hunger?”

The words he spoke sounded like a desperate plea. He spoke the words into your neck while kissing all over it. His body trembled in your grasp like he was about to burst like a balloon that was filling to the brim with thrill. As you witnessed his desperate act to have you, you sat still on the table. Your body is practically paralyzed by the overwhelming sensations you feel. Your thighs tensed up every time he inched higher and higher up your thigh. You too felt your arousal growing the more he clawed at your skin and fabric trying to feel as much of you as he could. Even if he wanted you that bad he wouldn’t continue any further than this till he heard the words yes left your lips.  After what felt like an entirety of silence between you, you gave him your verbal consent. You breathed the words “Yes” into his ears, it was like a flip had switched in his mind the moment you spoke those words. He wasted no time taking control and finally getting to have every inch of your mind, body, and soul. 

“You will get what you so deserve tonight, I swear that.”

He arose from his lunged position over you, still keeping his hungry eyes on you as he did. You lay there still on the table, your chest heaving as your body was overcome by the intensity of your feelings. Your body ached with pleasure from his touch and the marks he scattered across your skin. The bites sunk deep into your flesh, causing your skin to pulse and throb in said areas. He stood there watching as your body jolted and squirmed on the table from what he did to you. It made his breathing shake as he thought of what else he could do to you before the night concluded. Before the thought slipped his mind, he grabbed his oxygen tank. His na’vi could only go a few hours without needing a refill on pandoras oxygen. He pressed the mask up against his mouth, taking as much oxygen as he could in one go. His lungs expanded, replenishing with his proper oxygen. After a few more intakes he put his oxygen tank near you, wanting to keep it close in case things between the two of you got too heated. Finally, it was time to get the taste of you he so deserved, and it was time for you to get what you so desperately needed from him. 

He let his fingers lace across your hips, gripping them tenderly as his nails trailed along your sides. You were so reactive to his touch, your body pressing into the palms of his hands anytime he touched you. Seeing your body react so desperately to him only made every breath he took shake and drip with anticipation to have you. Slowly he took off your pants, unbuckling the belt, undoing the buttons, and slipping your pants off your body. Your body moved with his hands to help him get them off you, he enjoyed seeing how obedient you were. How even without giving you a direct order you knew what to do. 

“You’re so good for me, I’ll take good care of you love.”

He whispered sweetly in your ear as he slipped off your undergarments. One of his hands held your lower back and the other was placed on your inner thigh. He could just fuck you senseless now but he wanted to work you up before taking all of him. Your smaller body wouldn't be able to handle all of him so quickly so why not start off with some fingering? He pulled you in closer, resting his head near yours so he could hear all the sweet noises you’d make. You could feel his fingers inch closer and closer up your thigh, your muscles tensing up as he moved higher but relaxing when he stopped. Your body helplessly shaking with growing feelings of desperation and excitement. If it wasn’t from his obvious hand placement it was the look he gave you that helped you understand what he wanted to do with you. 

“B..be careful with the nails…” 

“I will y/n..”

A few moments after you could feel one of his fingers push inside you, his nails were sharp, but he was gentle. He pushed in a little bit at a time while keeping a close eye on you. Making sure it wasn’t too much. When he went inside you your breathing hissed, clenching your teeth together. Even though he was gentle his hands were so rough and textured. His fingers were much longer and slightly thicker than a human's finger. Nonetheless, you enjoyed the feeling of him in you. Your back was arched, and your legs shook more the deeper he reached inside you, your breath hitching, your lips letting whimpers slip past them. He looked at you, his eyes taking notice of all your reactions. “You good?” his mouth was closed but his eyes spoke for him instead. You hadn’t noticed but your hand gripped onto his forearm for support. Your nails dug into his skin slightly. His arm felt like a rock from how much he worked out. You knew if you scratched him out of pleasure it wouldn’t bother him. You fluttered your eyes shut as you nodded, your breathing too shaky for you to form words. Boy did he enjoy that, seeing how just one finger has you like this, he couldn’t wait to get more of himself inside you. Slowly his finger thrust in and out of you with a steady pace. Each time he went inside he pushed deeper inside you, loving the feeling of you tensing up around his finger. Pressure slowly builds up in your lower stomach from his fingering. No matter how hard you bite your lip it didn’t seem to muffle or stop your whines. It was like music to his ears the way your voice shook and made other pleasureful noises from his finger, he especially loved how each hard thrust he made in you resulted in a soft airy moan. 

“Fuck..You’re so vocal for me y/n..I love how pathetic you sound..~”

He whispered sweetly in your ear, encouraging you to continue and even make more noise for him. You two had the whole shack to yourselves, that alone would be the reason he’d make you moan louder. He laid kisses on your cheek and your forehead as he slipped in another finger, his movements still rough but not too much. Another breathless moan escaped your lips the moment he pushed another finger inside of you. As he continued his head rested against his shoulder. Your body was radiating with warmth, it was infectious as it continued to spread through your body. He would still plant kisses on your cheek, like little praises for your noises and reactive body. The rhymic movements he made in you were overwhelming in the best way possible, a burning feeling grew in your chest as your breath shortened after each stroke from him. Your hips buck up against his fingers craving, needing, yearning to feel as much of him as you can. That, those simple movements drove him crazy for you more. He looked down at you and smirked at you, a sly smirk like one up to no good would give someone. His fingers slowly slipped out of you and onto his own pants. He used that hand that was placed on your lower back to lie you down on the table, flat on your back but with your legs spread for him. The desperation on your face only grew once he stopped playing with you, As your body lay there on the table your eyes were glued to him, wide and full with lust for him. He used one hand to undo his belt and the other to move his braid out of the way. His eyes took in all of your curves and features. 

“Take the rest of your clothes off, don’t need those getting in the way later..”

“Y...Yes sir”

You nodded and followed his order. Stripping down and tossing aside your clothes. Even though your body was warmed by the growing feelings you felt, your skin grew goosebumps the moment your bare skin met with the shack's cold atmosphere. Your body swarming with a mixture of cool and warmth. Miles stripped too but his eyes never left you, he watched intently, as you unwrapped yourself and revealed the gift your body was to him. His smile grew wider the longer he stared at you, you were a masterpiece to him, in every way. As his pants fell down to his ankles his cock sprung up, fully erect from all the touching and intimate acts you two have done so far. Your eyes immediately went to his waist and what was there below it. No wonder he fingered you beforehand, his fingers were long but this, this was bigger, it was a vibrate blue color with a deeper blue shade at its tip. Long veins traveled down to its base. It was far thicker than you had imagined, just the thought of that being inside you made nervousness take cover. Your legs squeezed together and your eyes filled with worry. He took notice of your change in reaction. He walked over to you in that same prideful stride as before and leaned over you. He didn’t force your legs apart but placed his hand on them, giving them a gentle squeeze that would send a wave of warmth through your body. 

“Don’t be scared, I’ll be real gentle with you, okay? Tap twice on me and I’ll stop. You’re in good hands.”

His words were kind and soft-spoken, he meant every word. He was always known for being cold but anytime he was with you that cold exterior would melt away. He looked at you with full eyes and a smile. Waiting for your confirmation or your rejection. It took a few minutes for you to finally give him your answer, you took a deep breath, letting your lungs fill to the brim with air then releasing it. 

“..Okay, I trust you.”

You breathed out and gave him a nod, allowing him to continue what he started. He nodded back and smiled at you. Right before he started he stooped down and planted a kiss on your cheek, a soft and sweet one. This was his thanks to you. Finally, he parted your legs with ease, his breathing dripping with anticipation. You nervously awaited him, your hands resting on your chest feeling the quickness of your heartbeat. It pounded in your ribcage, so loudly miles could hear it from where he stood. He placed his hands on your hips, cupping them with a gentle but firm grasp. His eye met yours once more, asking you if you were ready with a simple look. There are many things he was good at and speaking with his eyes was one of them, he could convey many words with just a simple glance. Your chest heaved with every passing breath, your body emanating with nervousness and excitement. Again, you nod eagerly, not wanting to waste any more time. He smiled at your response whilst leaning in closer to you, pressing his forehead against yours.

“Just relax, the more tense you are, the harder it will be for me to fit it in you. Big breaths for me.”

As you took your deep breath he slowly pushed his way inside of you. Pressure built up quickly inside, he could feel you tighten around his cock. Your breath staggered and whines left your mouth the further he ventured inside you. He bellowed out a groan from the tightness he felt, but he did enjoy it nonetheless, enjoying the feeling of warmth that blanketed  his member. 

“You alright..y/n?”

“M-mhm..”

He smiled down at you, glad you were able to handle him so far. Slowly he thrusted in and out of you, each stroke going slightly deeper. Your breathing shuddered the more he explored you. He could feel how tense your muscles were, how they jolted from each deep stroke. It was hard to form words as the heat in your body shot up and your breathing quickened. All you could make out were incoherent noises and curse words. “You’re so big” You tried to mumble but that's not what came out. It was yet another slurred sentence, sounding like you had the chills. 

“What was that? speak up y/n..”

He spoke softly to you in a teasing tone, he enjoyed watching you struggle with your words. Something about the noises you shouted out or mumbled made him go crazy. He wanted to pound you so hard and rough, but it was your first time with him, with something this big. This time he’d try his best not to go overboard but if there was a next time, he’d definitely let loose. He too was tense but not for the same reasons as you, he was trying so hard not to be so rough, knowing your human body couldn’t handle all of him so soon. Praises like “You’re so good for me”, “You can take it y/n”, “You feel so good love, I want to hear how good I make you feel” and more were whispered in your ear as he reached deeper inside you. With every stroke, he’d throw in a rougher stoke just to hear your voice go higher and feel your body jump. 

“You...You’re doing this..on purpose.”

“Yeah, I know, but you like it don’t you?~”

You rolled your eyes at him, avoiding his question but he didn’t like that. He got closer to your face and bucked his hips roughly into you. You yelped loudly from it and refocused your attention on him. A devious smile on his face his his yellow eyes narrowed at you.

“I asked you a question, it’s rude not to answer...”

“Ngh…yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“..Yes sir.”

You said with a moan at the end as he continued to feel and taste all of you. The mixture of groans from him and your array of noises continued for several more minutes. Thanks to Miles's constant working out he had a lot of stamina compared to you. His lips kissing all over you any chance he could get, his teeth nipping at your skin, his hands gripping any part of you he could. Your body quivering from overstimulation the more he fucked you. He was getting close but he wouldn’t stop, not until you came. He reached deeper inside you, hitting your G-spot harder on every other stroke. His eyes the entire time glued to your body and watched how it relaxed and tensed up. You were close, you could feel the pressure building up, like a water balloon about to rupture. You shuddered the words “I’m about to” Your words once again mixed together as you felt your orgasm about to come. He nodded and kept his same pace, not going harder or rougher but just right, just the right of movement and pressure to help you release. 

“You can do it, go on y/n...”

More encouragement to help you cum for him. You tightened around his cock and squeeze him more, making him groan and movements become stiffer. Then, you released, letting out a loud moan as you came. The arch deepening in your back and your nails digging into his skin as you finished. After you finished your body went limp, your head flew back resting on the table, your legs twitching. Miles quickly pulled out and stroked his cock a few more times to help him cum. He leaned against the table and groaned as he finished on your chest and stomach. You and him both weren't expecting so much to come out of him. As he finished up his chest wheezed lightly, being out of breath and in need of an oxygen refill. You sat up a little, using as much stretch as you could to sit up and look at the mess he left on your chest. His cum coated most of your chest and stomach. It was warm and had a consistency of glue. The color of his cum was odd, you weren't expecting it to slightly glow. As you were looking at your chest he grabbed his oxygen tank and took a few deep breaths. 

“W..wow..that was.. something else..”

“Yeah, it was...you were amazing. I'm proud of you...~”

You two shared a small laugh and gave yourselves a moment to catch your breath. Your legs were out of commission, even the thought of trying to stand would make your legs shake more. While you were busy looking at the mess he left on you he walked out of the room. Where is he going? You thought to yourself as you caught a glimpse of him leaving. Doubt stirred in your stomach, feeling that once empty feeling. Maybe he left because he was done with you or left you to clean yourself up. 

“Tck, well I’ll be damned.”

You mumbled under your breath as you tried to get off the table, it was successful due to your legs still aching and your body being weak. More curse words and spiteful words slipped through your teeth as you examined the room from where you sat. No napkins, towels, or even your clothes were out of reach for you. Just as you were about to say ewya knows what, Miles walked into the room holding a few things. It was some wipes, clothes, paper towels, and a few other things you couldn’t make out.

“You know you couldn’t walk even if you wanted to y/n, just sit there and let me clean you up.”

“I…Okay, miles.”

Uncertainty filled your voice as you watched him pull up a chair and sit down in front of you.  He was redressed and looked a bit cleaner than before, still having that scruffy look to him. His eyes were busy admiring you and all the mess he made on you. 

“Though you were just gonna leave me here, I take back some of the names I called you.”

“Oh really? I’m not that heartless love, let me clean you up.”

He snickered as he pulled out some supplies and started to clean you up. He was gentle as he moved your body around so he could clean you up, making sure to get hard-to-reach spots for you as well. While he cleaned you up once again you found yourself staring at him, watching the way his eyes traveled your body, how his hands caressed your skin, how his face was focused and calm. Obviously, you were staring at him, but he wasn’t bothered by it. In between cleaning, he would gently kiss your skin, kissing over the love marks he left across your body. More praises for how good you were for him. During the whole process, he would tease you about the noises you made and you’d talk about the faces he made playfully. After you were cleaned up he handed you some clothes you could change into. It was already late and you both were pretty tired after everything. So he picked you up bridal style and carried you to one of the sleeping areas. He carefully laid you down in the bed giving you a small smile as he did so.

“I’m going to straighten things up and come back in a bit. Try and get some sleep.”

“Will do, you too.”

That was the last thing you two said to each other as he exited the room. As you tried to sleep Miles was in the next room trying once again to reach Lyle. Thoughts and images from not too long ago flashed in the minds of both of you, making it harder to concentrate on the task at hand. You tossed and turned and his frustration only grew. Instead of trying to get in contact with Lyle any longer, he decided to close everything down for tonight and try to get sleep as well. He grabbed his oxygen tank and his tablet then headed his way to you. By the time he entered the room, you were already asleep. Carefully he got into bed and adjusted you to where you were now lying on his lap. As he worked on his tablet you slept peacefully against him. He would work on his tablet until he fell asleep alongside you. Even though today's mission went completely wrong, it ended on a better note. A note you both were happy with.  

[extra-v1rgin]

Posting this on the last day of may just like I did last year 🫡 This was gonna be smut but I got 4k in and it was all fluff and we had one week of may left…

☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆.。.:・°☆

Tomioka usually ignores the mermaids that stray too close to him. His coworkers are fascinated by the extravagant fins that float in their vision and tricks the creature perform but Giyuu focuses solely on the actual job. He checks water ph and measures kelp growth and checks fish levels.

The mermaids are very beautiful but they can be rather annoying too. Looking for attention they often interrupt him by plucking the plants or blowing bubbles into his goggles. After he continues to ignore the mermaids they eventually leave but then he must change his calculations.

Giyuu is not friendly with many of his coworkers. He goes to work, takes his lunch alone, and returns home without much fanfare. Every once in a while a newcomer will question why he doesn’t enjoy the aquatic company but eventually they learn like everyone else to not ask questions.

While Tomioka is not popular he is good at his job. His coworkers respect him at the very least and the higher ups don’t care that he is often solitary as long as he continues to produce good results.

The promotion they give him is probably supposed to be a reward then, but Giyuu doesn’t care for change. A steep increase in pay is the only reason he doesn’t turn down the offer.

“Aren’t you happy to get promoted Tomioka-san?” Shinobu is already aware of his distaste for the new position and takes any opportunity she can to tease him about it. “Everyone else is very jealous of you!”

The man doesn’t know how to answer. He continues to pack up his meager possessions scattered throughout the work space.

“Rehabilitation environment supervisor! Very exciting title. It’ll look great on your new badge.”

“Kocho-san… I need to get going.”’

“Ah I suppose I’ll let you. We’ll be seeing more of each other now after all.” He might actually be happy about that. Shinobu is one of the only people who doesn’t seem to despise him but she can also be rather confusing.

—-

Having people to guide is a rather odd experience. His team is full of younger employees who are too eager to work. They chat too long between Giyuu’s short pauses in instruction and ask questions that have already been answered.

“Will we get to interact with the mermaids?” Tomioka keeps ignoring the question but after the fifth ask he grows tired. His brow furrows, “Probably not. Most tanks will be cultured before the… patients even arrive.”

A loud sigh falls from every mouth in the group. Tomioka doesn’t understand their disappointment. The open ocean was certainly more beautiful but preparing an empty tank with no flashy interruptions seems like a fair trade.

“Can we see the mermaids after we finish the tanks?”

“Ah… I suppose it depends on the reason they’re being treated.”

Immediately the mood in the room soars again. Even though the answer was vague at best most of the group has taken it as a positive sign. The chatter increases as Giyuu guides the group towards their first project.

The warehouse is a large place. Though Giyuu supposes it’s not larger than the oceans he explored before. He’s briefly toured the place before— both as a newcomer and after his recent promotion —but mostly the man relies on his map and the signs hung up to get around. They pass several rehabilitation areas, each marked for different circumstances. Again the group behind him bursts into whispers whenever they catch glimpses of figures moving behind foggy glass.

Tomioka scans his badge and finally steps into view of his current project. His subordinates fly through the door and exclaim when they catch sight of the mermaid floating through the tank.

The creature is not a typical specimen. Instead of the usual fins and flippers her lower half morphs into arms and tentacles.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Everyone else is mesmerized as the mermaid dances around the aquarium. Her lower half drags through the sand as she moves.

Giyuu watches for a moment. It is true that the woman is stunning, her human half at least. Though her tentacles are a new sight for a mermaid ultimately they are the same seen on cephalopod. He gives her a minute longer than he gives any other creature that interrupts his work.

While most everyone else is distracted Tomioka approaches one of the researches. “Will she be moved while the plants are transported in?” Luckily the younger workers are too focused on the mercreature’s movements to lament his question.

“There’s a smaller area of the tank we can keep her confined to for a bit. She needs to stretch out her tentacle and arms so they’ll heal. We can only do the smaller tank a few hours at a time, and only once or twice a week.” Another glance backwards reveals just how bad the injuries are. Though the appendages have been bandaged the wrappings are stained a dark red.

Giyuu purses his lips and resists the urge to frown (or frown deeper than his default expression). If he has to work at that pace it’ll take a full month to finish the tank.

“Oh but you can do some work while she’s in the tank too! Mitsuri-san is very friendly.”

The offer is not very compelling but he nods anyways. “Will she listen to instruction?”

“Oh yes she’s very intelligent! She doesn’t speak any human language but seems to understand Japanese very well.”

Tomioka turned out the speaking as soon as he got a yes. “We can start next week then.” There’s still a few orders he has to place and things to delegate.

“Tomioka-san.” One of the bolder workers approaches him. “Can we stay a little while to watch Mitsuri-san?”

The man makes an odd expression that perfectly captures his confusion.

“That’s her name,” the researcher informs him. “I said it earlier but I suppose it wasn’t a proper introduction.”

Giyuu isn’t very good with names. The mermaids that were frequently floating around their research sites also had names but he never bothered to remember any of them either. Mostly he identified the creatures as the “blue one” or “spiked finned mean one.” At least now he doesn’t have to bother with differentiating her from any other mermaids. “Ahh… thank you.” He likely won’t remember this name either, or at least not longer than whatever time the job takes.

“Do you have any other questions?” Surely the researchers are used to a myriad of them. Giyuu has none. All the details about saline level and ph and cuttlefish habitats are contained within a folder he already has.

It takes awhile to gather the young group of workers to leave. They all let out groans like a gaggle of schoolchildren. In all fairness many were barely out of college, some lucky ones accepted into the program while they were still studying. Tomioka is unpersuaded by the grim reaction. He easily sweeps them back out into the hallway and in towards the next job.

All the rest of the rooms are much simpler, to the students at least. They see fish habitats as an easy project despite the fact that they require the same amount of attention and care as the larger species and their semi-mammalian cousins. If anything they were the harder group to care for precisely because people underestimated them. Giyuu’s job was to find what everyone else had let slip through the cracks. He informs the group of his expectations regarding this much to their displeasure.

—-

It takes some time for Tomioka and his subordinates to properly get started. There is the matter of analyzing what vegetation would be suit the environment and the animals needs. From there it takes another few days for the shipments he’s placed to arrive. When possible they may have another team get plants from nearby oceans but that doesn’t speed up the process much either.

Mermaids like Mitsuri are rare. Most are similar to fish of some kind with sleek tails and scales winding up their bodies. To have one more similar to a cephalopod was rare. It wasn’t unheard of but having one up close in the rehabilitation center was incredible. The fact that Tomioka is assigned to her case for one of his first projects spoke much about managements opinion of him. It also meant he was under much scrutiny.

The man works hard to create a nice environment. Certain materials he would normally use were prohibited in this case. Without them he had to find other things to fill the tank with. Giyuu didn’t understand why everyone was so concerned. Mermaids were annoying but they were not stupid and most were not clumsy. Her injuries were not a death sentence. In the wild she would’ve survived just fine, even if one of the arms was ultimately lost. If this wasn’t his first job he’d certainly push back on the idea.

Instead Tomioka makes do without coral and jagged stones. He buys swathes of kelp and bubbles of algae to cycle oxygen properly. Smaller piles of rocks (carefully examined to be verified as smooth enough) could help hide fish and stimulate how the creature might hunt in the wild. It was a lot of work but it made the researchers happy.

Giyuu, as always, is the most productive person on his team. At least it makes sense now with his strange leadership position. That doesn’t make the fact any less annoying. Mitsuri is far friendlier than any of the other mermaids he’s interacting with which means she’s happy to spend time entertaining his subordinates.

It’s not helpful that Tomioka isn’t much of a commander. He’s happy to hand out write ups and scold his subordinates but those measures only get them to behave for so long. Upper management expects some level of distraction so even they get annoyed with the large influx of written reports. Now the man tries to limits his complaints to once or twice per shift.

It seems like his indifference has stirred up rumors too. The younger workers inquire about his apparent distaste but the man doesn’t have an interesting answer. Nobody can understand why plants and ocean currents are more appealing than a half human fish creature. At least it gets the trainees to leave the man alone.

Even with the extra time needed to cultivate the space it begins to blossom beautifully. Truthfully without coral there is not as much color but he can appreciate the subtle hues of green that scatter over the tank. Mitsuri too seems to appreciate their hard work. She attempts to thank Giyuu personally. Most mermaids don’t share any kind of language with humans but when she brings the man dead fish and shiny rocks the intent is clear. Usually he takes the objects until they’ve left the tank, where he subsequently throws them away.

This continues the whole time the decorate the tank, which is to say over several weeks. Some other hard workers get gifts too and brag eagerly. None get as many as Tomioka. The last day of work, where they simply observe to make sure everything has been installed properly, Mitsuri launches a rather large crab over the walls of the tank. It lands right at Giyuu’s feet and the rest of the researchers burst into friendly laughter.

—-

When the job is over Tomioka is happy to move on. They have more jobs with mermaids and his subordinates are still too often distracted but some experience helps the next assignments go quicker.

Only a month or two since the first job the researchers call Giyuu back. There was a small crack in the tank. It wasn’t big enough to throughly drain the tank but even loosing a little water and algae could upset the whole system.

The man makes the executive decision to handle the upset alone. It will only take a week or so of testing and observation. His current projects are mostly nearing completion and loosening the reins on his team will be an interesting exercise.

“What happened to the tank?” Tomioka has no interest in putting in hard work if they’re going to keep calling him to in.

“One of the feeders fell off the walkway. I think he’s been fired, the poor guy.”

Giyuu grunts and does mourn for a brief moment. It was unfortunate for such an incident to occur. “How much water was lost?” He’s already been filled in on the general details but with the rush to get everything fixed there was no official report yet.

The details are a little fuzzy, even when coming from the researchers. It appears in the chaos of everything they haven’t even properly measured the waste. At least the glass and water have been cleaned up. With a frown Giyuu nods and moves over to take a look for himself.

When he climbs to the top of the tank and dons his scuba gear Mitsuri moves right under his feet. She expresses much excitement of seeing him again, flipping over and over in the water. The man sighs right before he dives in.

Mitsuri follows him throughout the tank. Muffled chirps and bubbles of water reach his ears, but they’re easily ignored. The water is perfectly quiet around him. It’s actually an enjoyable experience when there’s not juniors to keep an eye on. All the researchers, even the mermaid and other fish, fade to the background.

First Tomioka checks on all the plants that had been jostled at the bottom of the tank. The quick suction of water had luckily left most plants undisturbed. He brushes sand over stray roots but doesn’t need to do much more.

The most clear problem is how much of the algae floating on top has been lost. Patches of green and yellow no longer cloud the water’s surface. It barely affects the ph by even a full point but left untouched it could continue to fluctuate further.

Tomioka shoots back to the surface and removes his heavy mask. Pulling the wetsuit hood of his head Giyuu shakes the water free from his ears. “There’s a shipment of algae being sent to another one of my jobs. It can be rerouted to here for now.” Everyone nods very seriously.

“Where was the break in the tank?”

“Close to the walkway, two feet to the left of it.”

Giyuu leaves his mask and hood off while he swims over to the area. He taps the thin line separating the old glass from the repaired area. A few slams of his fingers against the glass and it continues to maintain its stability. Behind him Mitsuri drifts back over, curious. Satisfied with the quality he moves to climb back out of the tank. The mermaid’s human hand reaches out to pull at one of his slick flippers. When he steps upwards it easily slips free from her grasp.

Wearing the gear for such a short swim makes the long process of taking it off even worse. His hair sticks like slime to the back of his neck.

Back at the bottom the head researcher waits. Though he is technically the expert between the pair the man still looks at Giyuu with some apprehension.

“What’s the current Ph level?”

The man smooths his hair back. “It’s been fluctuating between 8.07 and 8.02 for the most part. The glass just broke yesterday so everything is still settling down.”

“Why haven’t you moved her?” Tomioka vaguely gestures behind himself.

“The temporary tanks are just that. She already stayed in one while the glass was being patched up. Mitsuri-san is safer, and happier, in this ecosystem.”

Tomioka grunts and nods. While his expertise is in habitats and flora that doesn’t mean he is clueless about mermaids. She will survive the night, much longer if needed.

“I’ll be back in the morning then, early. I can’t completely leave behind my team so I’ll be here outside of usual hours.”

“Thank you Tomioka-san, we appreciate it. I’m sure Mitsuri-san is excited to see you again.”

Giyuu glances behind himself briefly. The mermaid is peeking out from behind a larger structure of stone. She ducks down when blue eyes focus on her form. It’s surprisingly human-like behavior. The researcher laughs while Tomioka shakes his head and gathers his things.

—-

Early in the mornings and late in the evenings the entire facility is much quieter. Most enclosures only have one or two staff members monitoring the area while others have none at all. The lights are all dimmed. Instead of workers and students filling the hallways it’s just the occasional janitor.

With the transplant of algae the Ph of Mitsuri’s tank had settled at 8.09. It was still a touch too low which meant Giyuu wasn’t finished with the side project. He introduced more kelp and seagrass but it wasn’t enough of a change to alter the acidity at all. The few researchers there when he was still thanked him for the progress.

The mercreature had started up her antics again. Though Giyuu didn’t entertain her any more than he did before (which was to say not at all) her affection for him had not waned at all. She followed him quietly while he tended to the plants and buried more into the sand. Almost annoyingly the woman could even be helpful at times. If fish were swarming around a certain spot or a tool slipped from her hands Mitsuri acted like an assistant of sorts. It meant that Tomioka couldn’t ignore her presence. He even cautiously accepted one of her gifts, a perfectly round and smooth stone. Everyone else coos and laughs.

Giyuu has to return to work late, or early. Either way it’s pitch black outside and he’s exhausted. By some miracle he’ll find his keys here and if not he can steal a cot in the medical room. Shinobu would never let him hear the end of it, but locked out of his apartment the only alternative is a damp park bench.

His keys aren’t in his locker or hidden within his gear so the man must go hunting through the halls. Tomioka checks every room he has access to along the way. Most of them are too big to properly search but even with a quick scan he can tell they’re not likely there.

The last room he checks is Mitsuri’s. The lights are dark with only a scattering of light to imitate stars. Her tank seems to glow. Only a black outline of shape gives him a clue to what’s going on inside. A big round heap in the corner is easily recognizable as the mermaid. Tomioka expects her to be asleep but as he enters the room two luminescent eyes focus on him.

He plans on his usual act of ignoring her. Quickly the man walks around the room’s border. There’s still no sign of his keys and Giyuu is already dreading the lecture he’ll get tomorrow.

Loud thumps sound from the glass. The man turns around to find Mitsuri still staring at him. The blue glow makes her look more like a monster. Her arms and tentacles fan out behind her to create a threatening silhouette.

Still personality shines through as she waves excitedly. Having captured the man’s attention Mitsuri moves to her small collection of shiny items and particularly interesting rocks. From the middle she fishes out a simple keyring with a few golden keys on it. An old charm, indistinguishable with age, marks it as the item of Giyuu’s search.

Tomioka has no idea if he dropped the keys in the tank or if the creature plotted to steal them. A mixture of relief and apprehension mixes in his stomach as he steps close to the glass. Mitsuri waves the keys around, excited by the way Tomioka’s eyes track the movement.

“I need those back.” The man isn’t sure if he can’t hear him or just doesn’t understand. He points to the keys and then himself. “Mine.” There’s still no sign of recognition.

Sighing Tomioka moves over to the ladder. He climbs slowly, calling over Mitsuri several times to see if she will listen now. Though she reactions to the sound of his voice the mermaid doesn’t listen to any individual words.

At the top his keys are just out of his grasp.

“Give them,” he grunts. It’s been an hour since he’s started searching and at this point the man is not interested in any sort of game.

Unfortunately for him Mitsuri’s playful personality has not dimmed even with the late hour. She holds the keys just under the water’s surface, darting lower each time his hand reaches out. Tomioka leans just a bit too low and his center of gravity shifts. Before he can react the man is toppling into the water.

The temperature is surprisingly warm to reflect tropical waters but that doesn’t do much to dampen the shock. Giyuu is an expert swimmer but the rush of water up his nose and bubbles around him are still a bit disorienting.

Mitsuri is quick to scoop the man into her arms and drag him towards the small landing platform. The mercreature doesn’t consider his need to breathe and while transporting him keeps Giyuu underwater. It means he gets another lungful of water. By the time he’s deposited onto dry ground Tomioka is hacking up half his lungs.

When he finally can breathe normally and his eyes regain focus Mitsuri has disappeared. Keys have been carefully deposited next to him. The man doesn’t move quite yet, curling onto his side. Of course his clothes are completely soaked through. He has a spare set in his locker but doing any more work feels like an impossible task.

“Come back.” His voice is raw.

Mitsuri approaches slowly. Her form is barely visible as it rises back upwards. Once her face is within proper view it’s easy to see just how distraught she looks. Giyuu still doesn’t feel entirely sympathetic but he’s not the type of man to be angry either. “I don’t enjoy teasing or that sort of thing so don’t do it again.” Whether or not she completely understands his words Mitsuri nods. She’s clearly still sorry and places a dead fish on the platform next to Giyuu.

“And I don’t have any use for these gifts.”

The mermaid blushes and hesitantly takes the fish back. When Tomioka doesn’t stop her she quickly eats the small treat. Her teeth are sharp and terrifying despite the woman’s generally peaceful nature. Tomioka’s stomach goes a little weak again. He should get out of the tank and pass out on a cot.

Giyuu finally forces himself upwards. He still feels winded but it won’t stop him from moving. As he stands a throbbing pain in his ankle reveals itself. “Shit.” There’s large gash on his ankle that hadn’t been felt until now. It’s not disabling but red blood is smeared over his sock. His shoe is floating in the water a few feet away.

Mitsuri notices too. Instead of reaching out with a human arm one of the fish-like ones with suckers and slime curls loosely around his leg. Oddly the cool smooth feeling is nice. Giyuu’s not to sure about how hygienic it is though.

The man isn’t exactly frightened. If Mitsuri was dangerous, human-eating or aggressive, her tank would’ve been sealed off long ago. The researchers and everyone else have characterized her as safe. She is still a wild animal however and there is always a chance she will behave unpredictably. He isn’t frightened but Tomioka moves slowly and carefully.

His cut is inspected. The creature runs her human fingers over the area carefully. She pats his leg and dips back into the water.

Giyuu should leave. He doesn’t like mermaids and would rather be in bed. He’s not quite tired anymore, has pushed past that threshold, but a nap would still be better than anything. It’s some mysterious force that keeps him rooted in place.

Mitsuri isn’t gone for long. She returns with a roll of waterproof gauze, the same kind used on her arms and tentacles. She looks very pleased with herself.

That pulls an actual smile from Giyuu’s lips (even if it is very small and looks strained). He sits back down and goes to grab the roll. Instead Mitsuri keeps it firmly in her hands and grabs his foot herself. She wraps his ankle with surprising expertise. It’s perfectly snug and the pain immediately dampens.

“Thank you.” Tomioka tries to sound nice even though he’s mostly thinking about the fact that this is still partially Mitsuri’s fault. “Can I have my shoe?” He doesn’t fancy taking another swim.

The mermaid reacts very enthusiastically When fetching the new object she takes a thorough assessment of the man’s show. It’s definitely unhygienic the way she tucks her entire hand into it and Tomioka wonders if he should tell the researchers about it.

As she hands over the object the mermaid plays no games. Giyuu pulls on the shoe in quick succession. It may be cliche for Mitsuri to be intrigued by his feet but one of her tentacles rises and pokes the rubber sole. Her interested noises are much more audible above the water and she grows rather loud with excitement.

He pats himself down. His keys are back in his pockets. Both shoes are back on. His hair slipped out of it’s tie but that’s-

It’s really one thing after another. The rubber band is a simple thing but if a fish ate it or it got stuck around something Giyuu would get fired. There’s a high chance he’ll get fired anyways.

“I need-“ He pauses and makes vague gestures. “It’s a little black circle.”

Mitsuri looks lost.

Tomioka sighs. “I’ll be back.” The man will have to commit to a night of no sleep. He climbs out of the tank, which accentuates the pain in his ankle. It’s easy to find a stray pair of goggles and a flashlight. Most of the nearby desks are surprisingly messy.

Really he should go back and get proper scuba gear but Tomioka doesn’t want to make this longer than needed. He can reach the tank floor within just a few seconds.

Giyuu proves so when he climbs up and dives back in. His ankle is soothed by the perfect temperature and the subtle cycling of the water helps push him downwards.

The searching seems hopeless for the most part. Mitsuri helps, able to jostle large areas with her many legs, but she also presents every oddity to his eyes. Tomioka is the only one actually searching and his range is much more limited. He wonders how hard it’ll be to find another job.

The mermaid very excitedly shows him a black loop but it’s just an odd wilted piece of kelp. With a sigh he boosts himself up back to the surface. Still wanting to help she goes back to carrying the man around, bringing him up within seconds. The tank isn’t deep enough for the change in pressure to be problematic but it’s still disorienting and strange. Giyuu is a little more prepared this time though and clings to her as soon as her arms wrap around his waist.

Even on top the woman hesitates to let go of him. Her tentacles weave in and out of his legs. She keeps him suspended in the middle of the tank instead of depositing him back at the platform. Like this Giyuu stays close enough to feel her slow heartbeat and cool skin.

There’s the matter of appearance too. It’s not like Tomioka is unaware of how beautiful Mitsuri is. She’s far more beautiful than any human he’s seen, even actors on tv. He is not blind but for the most part their beauty doesn’t matter to him.

When she is two inches away with her breasts pushing against his arm her beauty is much more apparent. She is topless, most mermaids are nude. He avoids looking too closely now. “I need to go down again.” Giyuu pats her arms lightly, feeling the strong muscle underneath.

It takes another hour of repeating the pattern to find his stray hair band loose in between a pile of rocks. Mitsuri cradles the man like a bride whenever Giyuu surfaces for air. Even the short distances she enjoys keeping him within her arms. After the third or fourth time he is more comfortable being paraded around. She does have a good sense of where to take Tomioka, depositing him back onto the exit platform when the whole affair is over.

“Thank you.” He expresses himself much more sincerely now. Mitsuri clings to his legs and rests her head in his lap. Her long braids spread outwards like rays of sun. Without the flashlight on or a dull sense of panic the experience is much nicer. It also brings back the need for sleep. Giyuu will have to call out of work tomorrow, or in a few hours.

“I’ll bring some fish or… something, sometime.” When he considers the gifts she’s given him he wonders if a shiny rock would do.

Mitsuri chirps and quickly leaps up beside him. She presses her lips against his cheek. It’s an odd feeling, not quite a kiss with the way the muscles work there. The following hug is suffocating. Human and fish arms alongside tentacles engulf the man completely. It’s another odd feeling with slime and suckers wrapping over and under his arms.

Giyuu feels warm all over. He isn’t sure what to do once the girl pulls away. The man mumbles something, probably a “goodnight,” and stumbles towards the ladder. He only realizes he’s blushing when he reaches the bottom.

Tomioka calls in sick the next day.

—-

Giyuu has to pay someone to have the security footage go missing or written over or however that works. Uzui, the head guard, makes a dozen perverted jokes and wraps an arm around Tomioka like they’re friends but eventually he does as told.

Everything else is exactly the same which is strange. The man feels like months have passed overnight. Having to go back to yelling at subordinates and drafting schedules is strange.

Of course the man’s opinions on all other mermaids has not changed. He gets tired quickly and shuns company when possible.

Still almost every night (or at least once a week) he slips Uzui a gift or wad of cash and visits the only mermaid he likes.

[mangostar]

Some of the things I learned back when I had fish and bettas!

I think bettas are happiest in 10+ gallon sized tanks (the minimum recommended is 5 gallons, so bigger than you’ve got!). They love to patrol their territory and it’s nice to have different spaces to explore.

Also, even though bettas are pretty solitary, they do really well with plecostomos! I’d recommend getting one pleco that’s larger than a betta so it doesn’t try to eat it. They’re a long term commitment though, just like bettas, and they can grow to be a foot or two if they’re happy! So you’d definitely need to upsize in like… a decade or so. But they help keep the tank clean!

Keeping a tank in general is kind of a lot of work. You should replace a quarter of the water every week, and getting all the supplies can be pretty expensive.

Live plants are definitely better for the tank’s overall ecosystem, but I don’t know about which plants work best in a betta tank. Except I know they love marimo moss balls! Also, don’t bring in live plants cuz you have no idea what tiny eggs are hitching a ride (especially SNAILS).

Before getting fish, you should set up your tank with plants, substrate, a thermometer, filter, and heater. You can also get an overhead lid + lamp. Let the tank run for a while on it’s own so it stabilizes. My dad never did this when I was growing up but there’s also ways you can check salinity, pH, ammonia, etc.

When/if you do get your betta, you should keep it in a different smaller tank (ideally one that also has a filter + temperature setup) and monitor it for a few days. Lots of petstore fish are sick with all sorts of gross things and you don’t want to bring that into the other tank.

Sorry if you already knew all of this haha

omg thanks this is a huge help !!

[dyslexicpieceofgay]

Hi! I've been wanting to get snails as pets for a while now and I was wondering if you have any tips for people just starting? I think your snails are adorable and I love the way you describe them 💜🐌

First of all, thank you so much! 💖 I’m going to put this post below a break for everyone’s sanity since it is quite long :) it will include different sellers information, general information on both aquatic and land snails (more so land snails since those are the ones I’m personally familiar with), terrarium information, snail care & diet, and links to external sources I found helpful!

Hope this helps and I’m so excited that you are interested in joining the snail brigade!!

I’m sorry in advance for anyone who accidentally clicks more 🐌🐌🐌🐌🐌

Okay so, aquatic snails

I’ll start out with the basics of actually acquiring the snails! Most snails you are going to find are going to be aquatic snails. They are amazing at cleaning up extra food, eating excess algae, and just overall keeping the tank clean! For aquatic snails, I can’t give you overly too much information as I don’t care for them myself, however they do make amazing pets and there are loooooaaaddsss of resources out there for you!

I highly recommend looking into any local aquatic store if aquatic snails interest you as big corporations such as Pet Smart or PetValu (or whatever the US equivalent is) often abuse their animals, have unsafe working conditions for (often underage) employees, and in general create a very unsafe environment overall.

By supporting local stores, you not only put your money directly back into your local economy (Yipee) but also are being given advice directly by someone who is likely an industry expert, rather than a teenage making 15$ an hour.

If you are unable to find any local stores, there are many reputable stores online that will ship directly to your home. Personally I’m in Canada so the websites I use may be different to yours if you are in a different country but there are many Reddit threads willing to help.

Alright, back to land snails

So I’m a florist and the snails I own come in through our floral shipment rather than being bought, but I looked around and found a few reputable snail sellers for you. I’ll link them at the bottom of the post.

Ground snails typically live between 2-3 years on average. Most snail seller (or snellers hehe) will raise them for a year before sale in order to make sure they are healthy and strong enough for shipment.

There are a pretty large variety of snail types available by online snellers so I linked a resource below that gives specifics on the different species and care guides for each specific type. Depending on type, prices can range from 10$ to upwards of 75$, though a decent chunk will have to go towards shipping and handling fees. Be prepared as well for possible customs fees as snails are live creatures. Just budget an extra 50$ if possible just to be safe.

I recommend starting with a smaller snail such as the Milk snail or the Garden snail as they are most commonly sold and overall have the most information available on the internet. They also have a slightly more varied diet overall which can be helpful when first starting out.

Terrarium Info (Jazz hands)

When choosing a terrarium, it’s important to remember that this will not just be a temporary holding area for your snails, it will be their HOME. Would you be interested in a home that’s cramped, stuffy, and with not a lot of places to explore? Probably not lol. Snails are fairly active creatures and giving them a good amount of space is important for their health and happiness.

Personally, I use a glass reptile terrarium for my snails which I believe is 10 gallons. I have 6 snails (five adult and one baby) so I opted for a slightly larger tank. If you only plan to have 1-2 snails, a five gallon should work well!

Make sure you get one with an enclosed lid or your snails WILL escape. And that wouldn’t be fun for anyone.

For inside the tank, there are a few things you’ll need. For the bottom I use a combination of sphagnum moss and coconut husk both rehydrated. This gives a soft moist base that allows the snails to dig around, fall off the walls without cracking their shell, and provides external moisture which is important for the snails as that is how they live.

Typically I change this out once a month. Just remember, you want it to be moist, not soggy. You shouldn’t be able to ring it out with your hands and have a bunch of water come out. Aim for how your hair feels after you towel it down after the shower. If you ring you hair out after towelling, a few drops may come out but it won’t be a stream of water.

I buy my moss in dried packs then rehydrate them in a bowl of water. You can find these at pretty much any pet store or dedicated house plant store. (NOTE: NOT a local florist. The moss at a florist is slightly different and often contains pesticides that wouldn’t be good for your snail.) always aim to shop local. Many of the sellers I listed below also sell limited amounts of moss.

I mix in coconut husk as it provides a bit of extra fluff and my snails enjoy monching in it when I’m late to feeding them :)

I would also recommend getting a small feeding tray so that your snails food doesn’t get spread out across the tank and so that when bits of the produce go bad, it doesn’t spoil within the tank and make it smelly. It is optional though if you are using a smaller tank.

Snails as well LOVE to climb around so I recommend getting them a branch of driftwood to place vertically within the tank just to give them that extra place to climb on :)

Lastly, give them a place to hide under. For me, that’s the little bridge in their terrarium. In nature, snails hide underneath objects to avoid predators, lay eggs, and sleep. Giving them that space is important to recreating their natural habitat!

If you are able, avoid anything with sharp edges such as plastic plants, as they can cut the snails body. Also avoid hard stones if you can as your snails could drop from the terrarium ceiling and crack their shell.

Circling back to the moss bedding, (and I’ll go over this is more detail in a later section) but snails typically burrow down into the moss in order to lay their eggs. Because of this, it is important to give them a thick enough layer that they can burrow, but not so thick that you won’t be able to spot the eggs.

I recommend as well getting a smaller plastic terrarium for travel, or if you need someone to watch over your snails etc etc. just add a small layer of moss from your main tank to keep the bacterial balance in check and you’re good to go 👍

Monch Monch, food time

Snails can eat most produce. I personally find with my snails that they love lettuce, carrots, celery, and bok choy the most. Though every snail is different and has a different appetite, it’s important to refresh their food once every day or two. If you wouldn’t eat the produce, you shouldn’t be feeding it to your snails.

Produce MUST be uncooked and unseasoned. Salt is deadly to snails and frozen veggies are typically pre-cooked so unfortunately unavailable. Onions and any other types of alliums are also not safe for most snails (or really like any pet for the most part lol).

It’s important as well that your snails have a source of calcium in their tank. I personally use cuttlefish bone which comes in a solidified powder. There is plenty of debate among the snail community on how the cuttlefish bone should be administered. Personally, I leave small (very small) chunks around the tank, and occasionally sprinkle some as a powder over their food and around their tank. This seems to keep them happy and healthy.

Other snailers argue that you should not put any near their food as it can cause the snails to OD on calcium. I’ve heard of people every couple weeks mixing it with a bit of water until is becomes a thick paste and leaving it in their tank for them to consume that way, but I don’t really see how that would prevent them from ODing compared to the other methods…

There is also snail food available which comes in a powder and when mixed with water into a thick paste acts as food for the snails but lack some of the key nutrients they get from fresh produce. It is great however if you are travelling and require something compact and temporary.

I personally stay away from anything too citrusy as I’m not 100% sure how they’d respond to it.

Day to day care

Day to day care is relatively easy. Personally I most their tank twice a day with a spray bottle and also have a humidifier that I occasionally run (it’s kinda bulky and takes up a lot of their tank so I don’t use it often). Keeping the tank moist but not soggy is important to maintaining your snails health. You’d be surprised how quickly a tank can dry out. Keep them away from windows as direct sunlight speeds up the drying process and can also burn your snails when the sun shines through the glass.

Switch out any old food after a day of two and replace. You don’t want their food bowl to be empty as snails run on a different internal clock than you or I so they may eat during the night when you aren’t looking.

Eggs, eggs, eggs!!!

The hardest part of being a snail owner is absolutely dealing with their eggs. Snails are androgynous creatures. They can switch their sexual organs at their convenience or even have both at the same time. There is no real way to tell them apart as their sexual organs are mostly internal. What this means for us is that they can fertilize and lay their own eggs asexually. They do also mate with other snails (more info below) but they aren’t required to.

When healthy, snails will lay eggs in clusters 1-2 times a month. They lay eggs in clusters that look like white pearls by burrowing in the moss or on the underside of surfaces (another part to why having hidey spots is so important to recreating their natural habitat).

Since snails are also simply built different, they can store fertilized eggs within their bodies so even if they haven’t mated with themselves or other snails, they still have the possibility of laying eggs.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CULL THESE EGGS. You may think that not all will survive, or that you can leave them for a day or two but you honestly can never know how long the eggs have been there. On average, snail eggs take between 10-25 days to hatch. If you do not cull these eggs, you will be overrun by baby snails.

It. Will. Not. Be. Cute.

So, how do we cull eggs then? The most ethical, cost efficient and easiest way is the freezer method. Gently scoop up the egg clutch (they will usually separate in your hand, you aren’t doing anything wrong) and place into a ziplock bag. Remove that section of moss into a separate bowl and look through to see if you missed any. Then look under any surfaces and the edges of your tanks lid to see if you missed any. If you find any already hatched babies, you can also put them in the ziplock bag.

Then, place the bag into the freezer and allow to fully freeze for at least 12-24 hours. Once frozen, the eggs and any escapees will be put to sleep and be incapable of feeling any pain. At this point, you can roll a rolling pin over the bag to crush the eggs and any baby snails. They will not feel anything and it is the most ethical option for snail culling.

I know it may be tempting to just throw the eggs away but there are several reasons to avoid this. For starters, there is a chance that when you come across the eggs, they may be at the end of their gestational period and right about to hatch. I can assure you, you don’t want to have dozens of baby snails hatching in your trash can.

Say they make it to the landfill, they are then sentenced to a life of being stuck in a hot garbage bag filled with rotting food until they die. If they do escape, they are now an invasive species doing likely detrimental damage to local ecosystems. Same goes for flushing them down the toilet.

Freezing them is the most ethical for both the snails and the environment. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, DO NOT GET PET SNAILS.

Just needed to emphasize that so you don’t get overrun by snails or introduce an invasive species to your surrounding area.

Other stuff!

If you snails shell cracks, don’t panic! As much as we love to take as best care of our snails as possible, they can be kinda dumb and sometimes they can take a tumble that cracks their shell. This doesn’t mean that they are dead though!

Though they can typically survive on their own, to help the healing process along, provide extra calcium, and shield the injured spot, you can take the thin membrane of an eggshell and apply it over the injured area. When it dries it will act as a bandage and some of the nutrients will be absorbed into the shell, making it stronger. You may want to consider placing your snail into a separate container if you have other snails as snails enjoy climbing over each other.

Snails can also hibernate for upwards of a week without movement or feeding. During this, it’s best to just leave them alone. They will often hide underneath a surface or attach themselves to the terrarium wall and simply vibe for a while. Why do they do this? Idfk I just live here.

To find out if your snail is alive, you can lift the shell and look inside. A living snail will have a little bit of body showing. If you can’t see this, wait a while before throwing your snail away as they may just be acting moody. You can typically tell if your snail is dead by the weight of their shell, bleaching and other discolouration of the shell, and hollow appearance if you shine a flashlight on the shell itself.

If you want, you can choose to crush up a dead snails shell to provide extra calcium for your still live snails. I don’t do that though because I feel bad but you do you boo 💖

Snail mating looks kinda freaky af. They will look like they are fully eating each other but I can assure you they are just boning. Do not try and remove the snails from each other if they are in the mating process and it could result in injury or death to the snails. They latch on pretty tight. Typically the snail will lay eggs 4-6 days after mating but they can store eggs for a pretty long while if they feel like it.

Thesis, body, conclusion

So yeah! Those are the main aspects of snail care!! If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to ask me!

I know the about of info I gave may seem kinda overwhelming but snails are truly such a great starter pet and pretty low maintenance once you know what to look out for! They just require consistent care and love on a daily basis and the occasional snail-bortion 💖 I love my snails and I’m sure you will as well!

Links!

These are some helpful resources but be sure to do your own research into local snellers and varieties before making any decisions! 💖

Snail types

Snellers

https://landsnails.org/en

Terrarium sellers

https://www.abcplants.com/the-plants-store?page=2

(There are plenty more terrariums on Amazon and I’m sure available locally, I just linked a few small businesses)

[aries1144]

Little Pearls

G/T Mer, Fluff one shot, might turn this into a mini series if u guys like it hehe

Caitlin didn’t expect to wake up in a cage made of coral. Then again, she didn’t expect to become a mermaid last night, either. But at least she was conscious. Where were her friends? Why was it so dark? And who was snoring so loudly?

She tried to see if she could swim past the bars, but the spaces between were too thin. She sighed. Might as well try yelling…

“Guys? Ajax? Is this a prank?” There was annoyance in her voice. “This isn’t funny! And wake up whoever’s snoring up!”

“I am awake.”

The low, echoey voice vibrated through Caitlin’s skin. She furrowed her eyebrows. That definitely wasn’t one of her friends. She swam back a bit.

“Hi…?”

There was a low chuckle. It didn’t sound sinister, but it was still concerning that she was in almost complete darkness, and everytime she heard something, her entire body would react to the sound waves.

“Hello there, little pearl. Though, I suppose you can’t see how small you are right now.” His voice slightly softened. “I should show you some light, shouldn’t I?” Another loud noise made Caitlin’s heart drop. A loud snap shone a crystal light from above, and there, she saw him.

A giant.

He was huge. The cave was even larger, and full of crystals that the giant also wore around his neck. He had a long, salt and pepper beard, a teal tail, and a soft grin on his face as his dumb eyes looked down on Caitlin.

She screamed.

She backed as far away as she could in the cage, but she couldn’t escape. The top of the cage opened. A huge hand grabbed Caitlin by her torso. She tried to escape his palms, but she was too weak, and now she was at eye level.

“No use in squirming, darling. You’re all mine now…” He smiled softly, but that didn’t stop Caitlin from grunting, and kicking her tail.

The giant simply laughed.

“That’s adorable, hon. Assuming those other pearls are your friends? I’ll set you down with them.”

She blushed a bit when he called her a pearl. It was the same voice her father would use when he called her ‘sweetie.’ She frowned, in thought of him, and her mother, and the worry they must have felt with her not home.

She was distracted for long enough to be put in a larger cage. Only this time, it was a tank. A large one at that. The giant’s hand forced her into a corner of the tank, where she heard familiar voices.

“Caitlin?!” The voices of Rosetta and Whimsic said in unison. “Are you alright?”

She lightly rubbed her head once the giant’s hand left the tank. “I’m fine.” She looked to her right. Ajax had his head down, hugging his tail.

“Are you okay?”

He shook his head. Whimsic laughed. Ajax looked up at them with a quick glare. “Don’t laugh!” He was blushing. Hard.

“You weren’t this flustered when Cait wasn’t here.” Whimsic taunted.

Caitlin furrowed her eyebrows. “You have a crush on me?”

“No!” He said harshly. His face then turned pale. He softened his voice. “I mean, no. I’m just…”

“Bi-panic?” Rosetta chimed in.

“That.”

Caitlin, Rosetta, and Whimsic let out cackles. Ajax let out a small, embarrassed laugh. Though, the moment was interrupted by the giant.

“Why, if you aren’t the cutest little catch of pearls I’ve ever seen!”

The laughter stopped. Their faces became pale. Now he was speaking to all of them.

He asked for their names. They gave it to him. It only made him gush more. “Such adorable names! Ohhh~ I can see your little faces turn red. I could just pinch them…”

Their hearts dropped as his enormous fingers entered the tank.

“Hm…no. I wouldn’t want to cause any harm to my tiny treasures.” He retracted his hand. “I just find little merfolk so fascinating! What brings you four to the Quiet Abyss?”

“We were sleeping.” Ajax said bluntly. “And then I woke up in a cage. Last I checked, we were all sleeping on a jellyfish.”

“A giant jellyfish, little Ajax. How attentive you are.” He smiled down at him. Ajax was blushing a bit. “I do admit, I did take you four in my cave. But there are some terrible creatures out there who would want to harm you cuties. Not to fear—I will protect you all.” Faster than the blink of an eye, he snatched the four into his hands. “Now, let’s all eat some breakfast. I’m sure you’ll all love what I have prepared for you.”

And so he swam with the young ones in his hand, towards the kitchen, where the first escape attempt would be made.

[orowyrm]

HEY I have a hermit crab (he's like 6-7 at this point so not a recent acquisition) and I'm always trying to think of things for him to do or play with because he’s awesome and I love him. Any ideas?

ANON THATS SO COOL! hermit crabs are awesome, and huge props to you keeping your little guy’s enrichment in mind!!! i have seen some people put larger hermits or other crabs (like fiddlers) in hamster balls for short periods of time in order to let them explore in relative safety…. i would go for one of the larger ones and keep a close eye on him but that could be fun!!

variety in diet is also a big thing people will do for their hermits. when i worked at a pet store, i used to love giving ours fresh chopped veggies fruit and nuts — but they can eat all sorts of additional things too! food items that won’t spoil right away (like dried fish or dried fruit) can be sprinkled around the enclosure or ‘hidden’ to give him a chance to put those foraging skills to good use. stuff like sterilized dry leaf litter (catappa/indian almond leaves are usually sold for fish or reptile setups, but they work good for these guys too! i’d just make sure to go for stuff intended for pets) or even live plants can make for good edible enrichment too! (i’d be very careful to make sure everything you use is safe for him to eat - i’ve seen people grow wheatgrass or other ‘cat grasses’ for anything from hamsters to birds to crabs so that might be a decent option. you could also look into what sort of leafy greens people find their hermits tend to like, and consider growing some sprouts for him!!)

they’re also avid climbers, so something like pieces of sturdy driftwood or cholla wood or even one of those rope climbing nets people will use for lizards could be fun — if it’s the latter, i’d just make sure it’s very tightly secured and that the substrate is thick + soft enough that if he does fall, he won’t hurt himself too much. don’t want any shell damage.

one thing i always love to do for enrichment with the various inverts i’ve kept over the years is actually one of the easiest things to do — just rearrange their tank every so often! turn around or flip over bits of rock or wood, switch out fake plants for some new ones, change the location of the food or water dishes, all kinds of stuff like that to keep their brain moving and keep them exploring!! it’s something we do for animals at work too, it’s a great way to provide novel stimuli without having to go too crazy.

i’ve honestly never had a hermit crab myself (i love em to death, but they usually like to have as much space as possible and i’m heavily limited for space rn. that and i’m hardly ever home lmao) so i’m just pulling from my general invert/aquatic crustacean knowledge, so take that with a few grains of salt. best of luck in your crabby enrichment endeavors though!!

[callsign-relic]

I’m sending this in as just a plotline everyone could use and because why the heck not, but imagine;

On the lost light Ultra Magnus absolutely bans humans *much to Rodimus’ dismay.* just out of fear of the humans getting hurt while the lost light travels, because hey, they had some wild adventures….

And the crew is going to be so busy making sure everything is running smoothly on board and what if they forget to take care of their little human? Or worse they get caught underpede, it’s horrible for both the mech and the human.

….

But Rodimus is obviously kind of a rule breaker and he’s the captain, why should he have to listen? So he smuggles his human on board. You thought all other versions of Rodimus within this au was bad?

Now you’re the captains little secret, if he’s not in the room you’re either left in a small space he has hidden within his larger quarters (perks of being captain) or you’re left in his tank.

He’s got his quarters locked down so tightly escape is nearly impossible (but not 100% impossible) and if you managed to escape Primus help you. The mech is practically going to be tearing up the ship to find you and you better hope he doesn’t, because he’s going to keep you in his fuel tank for a longgggg time.

“Sorry little buddy, but you know I can’t let you be seen, it’s just you and me, the crew would make me get rid of you, you don’t want that…right?”

-

Also, because I love the idea of Ultra Magnus making the rule but then having a human of his own, he does, but they’re “properly trained” and won’t go running off.

WISHEHEGHEHEHE AAAHHHHH I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!! POSSESSIVE RODIMUS MY BELOVEDDDDD 😩😩

Also HAHA Magnus being a little bit of a hypocrite HEHEHEHE. Oooo I could totally imagine a plot line where Rodimus’ human goes out to find Magnus’ human in an attempt to get help, but who knows if they can even be trusted 😮 will they help or will they suck up to Magnus?? EEEE THE PLOT THICKENS SHEHEH

[axton-celestia]

Kaeya- The First Night

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Smut, Blowjob, Eating Out, Clit Stim, Nipple Play, Hair Pulling -All in game character lines credited to Hoyoverse.

Kayea- The First Night

After destroying the source of Stormterror’s power in Temple of the Wolf, Kaeya clapped his hands, a broad smile across his pretty face. “Bravo! What a performance. You are, to my surprise, a well-trained knight. The battles you just fought were sights to behold,” he praised. You half-smiled at him. “Oh? Is that so? Enjoy watching me that much?” You replied, deciding to try your luck. He chuckled. “I see you already have the knightly virtue of modesty,” he joked in return, locking gazes with you. He placed a hand over his heart. On a more serious note, he gratefully added, “Stories of your heroic deeds to save Mondstadt from the destruction shall be known throughout the City of Freedom, well into the future.” You bowed your head. “It was my pleasure working with you, Kaeya.” You smiled softly this time.

He was silent for a moment, searching your (E/C) eyes. “Please visit me at our headquarters when you have the time.” You cocked your brow. “I also know a lovely tavern, if that’s more your thing,” he suggested in a rather sultry manner. You took a step toward him, your interest piqued. “I suppose I can’t refuse such a generous offer then, can I, Captain?” He smirked, his eye searching yours. “I can take care of the rest here. You go take care of other things while I’m at it.” “I’ll see you this evening then,” you replied casually, turning on your heels and waving at him. “Bye~!” Called Paimon as you left the temple.

**********

After Paimon had gone to bed you snuck your way down the upper hall to the room at the end. The plaque on the outside said Captain Kaeya Alberich. It was unmistakably his room. You knocked quietly on the door. You couldn’t see any light from under the door. All was quiet. You gripped your pajamas nervously, worrying he might not have heard you, or he didn’t want you to come anymore. You raised your hand to knock a second time, but you then heard footsteps. The door opened and you were met with a shirtless Kaeya, his dark blue mane falling loosely around his shoulders. His figure was… you just wanted to take him right then and there. He leaned against the door frame and looked you over with his one eye. He grinned. “Don’t you look simply ravishing,” he greeted you, admiring your cropped tank top and very short shorts. “I must say, you look quite delectable yourself,” you replied. He chuckled. “Sorry to keep you waiting, (Y/N). I was in the other room.” You shook your head. “No worries. It was of little consequence.” He stepped to the side. “Please, come in.” As you did he shut and locked the door behind you.

You glanced around the living space. It was quite large. Much larger than you’d expected and extremely well kept and furnished. You felt a solid figure pressing to your backside and cool hands gripping your waist. Warm lips pressed to your neck. You closed your eyes, leaning into him, and sighed, already feeling the heat in you rising quickly. “Can I get you anything to drink?” He whispered against your skin. It took you a moment to make your brain work again. “A glass of wine perhaps?” You suggested. He kissed your neck again before letting go and casually making his way to the cabinet filled with various types of liquor. He pulled a Dandelion Wine from the shelf and poured two glasses. He held out the one for you to take. You approached him and took the glass, your warm fingers brushing against his. Although he was cryo, you felt as if electro was coursing through your body at his touch. You brought the glass to your lips, eyeing him all the while. The wine was sweeter than you’d anticipated. It was well suited to this evening. Kaeya swirled the wine in his glass before taking a sip himself, his starry eye removing your pajamas. You could already feel your nipples hardening, pressing through the thin fabric.

“So, what do you think of Mondstadt so far?” He asked, his eye clearly on your chest. You took another sip before replying. “It certainly has its highlights,” you replied, eyeing him. “Ho ho, is that so?” Kaeya teased. “You’ll have to tell me all about that then.” You set your glass of wine down on the table. “Why tell you if I can show you instead.” You approached him and released your hair, letting your (H/C) mane cascade down your back in a waterfall. He smirked, smiling crookedly. “Forward. I like that.” He downed the rest of his glass and moved toward you. He leaned over you and set the glass on the table next to yours. You could smell the sweet wine on his breath.

Kaeya raised a hand and cupped a breast, his thumb rubbing circles over your hardened nipple. You felt electricity course through your lower region. “Feel good, sweetheart?” He asked, his eye never leaving yours. It was your turn to grin crookedly. “I haven’t quite decided yet. Perhaps you’ll have to keep it up a bit longer… Or do more.” He smirked. “I wouldn’t want to ruin my perfectly good reputation,” he replied smugly.

Kaeya brought his lips to yours. You could still taste the sweet Dandelion Wine on them. You reached a hand up to his face and traced along his sharp features. The other hand you let wander along his toned figure. You couldn’t help but want to explore every part of him. Along his athletic arms, down his muscular chest, across his deep V-lines. You let your hand sink further, grazing along his hardening cock. You felt him twitch beneath you, his kiss becoming slightly more aggressive. He pulled you closer to him, not daring to remove your hand. You started to palm him through the already tightly fitted leather. You reached around his backside and grabbed his ass. He grunted against your lips and grabbed yours as well.

He broke away from your lips and trailed down your neck, carefully slipping the straps of your top over your shoulders. Your breathing became more ragged as he kissed along your collarbone and traced the many curves of your body. You palmed him harder. He moaned against your shoulder. “Perhaps it’s time we took this somewhere else?” He mused. You responded by unbuckling his belt. “Eager are we, Star-fall?” Contrary to his tone, his eyes were filled with lust and desire. “If you don’t want this…” you baited him. He quickly brought his lips back to yours and forced your mouth open, letting his tongue explore yours. “Now, now darling, don’t put words into my mouth.” You laughed against his lips.

Grabbing you by the waist, Kaeya hoisted you upward and set you on his hips. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and entangled your hands into his long blue hair, your ankles already locked firmly behind his back. His hard cock pressed against your ever wettening body. The just feeling made your head spin with desire.

Kaeya brought you to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of his large four-poster bed. You unlocked your legs and straddled him, grinding your hips against him. He moaned again, bucking his hips into you. This time, you moaned. “Kaeya~.” “Say my name again,” he groaned. You moved your lips to kiss along his jawline. You tugged lightly on his hair. “Give me a reason to,” you cooed, nibbling on his ear.

Kaeya hooked his long elegant fingers under your shirt and pulled upward, removing it from your body. He lowered his face to your exposed chest and nosed your sensitive nipples before sucking on them. Pleasure coursed through your body. You grasped his arms tightly and moaned again. “Kaeya…” His hands gripped you tighter, moving one hand down from your back to your leg. “There we go. Good girl,” he praised. He rewarded you by using his thumb to rub circles on your clit.

You leaned your head back, unable to stop the soft corus of moans that escaped you. You grinded harder against him. You could feel the intense strain beneath you, his hard cock yearning to be free. You scooted back on his lap so that you had better access to him. Undoing the clasps that held his pants together, you freed his cock from the leather. It snapped up against his abdomen, leaking precum. He was big. There was no denying that. Kaeya pulled back for a moment to observe you, leaning back on his hands. You grumbled at the lack of stimulation on your body. He cocked his head. “Like what you see, Star-fall?” He asked smugly. You bit your lip and slid down between his legs, forcing them open. A smile tugged on his lips.

You reached up and grabbed the edges of his pants and pulled downward until they were on the wooden floor. You took his cock in your hand and stroked it a few times which warranted a grin from him. You then brought your lips to the tip and gave him kitten licks, enjoying the salty taste. He arched his back and moaned. Archons, it was so sexy when he was vocal. You took him into your mouth and hollowed out your cheeks while still stroking him fervently. Kaeya brought a hand to your hair and entangled it, guiding you up and down on his fat cock. “Tell me, Captain, how badly do you want me to stop?” He groaned and pulled on your hair gently. “The only reason you had better stop is because I tell you to.” He barely finished his sentence before moaning again.

You let your tongue swirl around his cock and then you blew outward. He jerked wildly and bucked his hips into you. “(Y/N)~!” He whimpered. It was enough to almost make him cum. You brought your hand up to massage his balls, letting your tongue slide along his cock until you took them into your mouth, sucking on them. He gripped your hair and pulled on it. You kept going.

As he desired, you didn’t stop until he grabbed you under the chin and pulled you off his cock. He was breathing hard and his cheeks were flushed. “Seems you have some experience with this,” he muttered. You stood up, placing both hands on his thighs and leaning in close. “To be quite honest, I don’t remember anything from before a few months ago, so for all I know, this could be my first time.” He chuckled, caressing your cheek, drawing you to his lips. “Then I’ll be sure to make it memorable,” he whispered.

Kaeya brought his lips back to yours, moving his hands to your waist and tugging down on your soaked shorts. You stepped out of the fabric and kicked it to the side. Kaeya lifted you onto the bed and laid you flat on your back, pulling your legs over his shoulders. “My turn,” he growled playfully. He sunk between your legs and sucked on your clit. You gasped, grabbing his hair. You could feel him chuckle between your legs. Kaeya continued to lick and suck against your folds and dipped his tongue in you. You arched your back, never letting go of his blue mane. “Kaeya~,” You moaned. You could barely utter his name as the heat in you rose quickly. He, too, was very clearly experienced. He moved to insert a finger into your heat. At first you could barely feel anything, but then you felt a surge of pleasure as he hit your sweet spot. You gasped, bucking your hips involuntarily into him. You could feel him smile against your clit. You shut your eyes tightly, the pleasure raging through every muscle in your body. You gripped sheets in one hand, the other still tugging at his hair. The knot in your stomach grew tighter as you were driven closer and closer to your high. He didn’t stop, no matter how hard you tugged on his hair. He actually seemed to be enjoying it. “Kaeya… I’m going to cum,” you whimpered breathily. He kept licking and sucking away, playing with your sweet spot until the knot snapped. You arched your back violently and cried out in all consuming pleasure. He continued to suck on you through your high until you had calmed down. He pulled himself over top of you, licking his lips. His midnight blue hair fell around you. You were panting hard. You pulled him in for a kiss.

“Seems you’ve done this a few times,” you murmured against his lips. “A few,” he chuckled in reply, kissing you back. You could feel his tip teasing your entrance. “Are you ready?” He asked. You nodded, kissing him again. Kaeya pushed himself in, your body sucking in his cock. Your walls adjusted to him quickly, clenching tightly around him. He moaned, bottoming out. He started thrusting. You both moaned. The pleasure rippled through your body, the heat rising in you once more.

His thrusts were deep and evenly paced. Kayea stabilized himself against the bed and kissed your neck feverishly. You let your nails rake lightly along his back. He groaned and bit your shoulder. You gripped him tightly causing crescent shaped indents on his tanned skin. Your core was tightening quickly, the heat and pleasure building. Kaeya, you could feel, was no different. His thrusts became sloppy as he rutted his big cock into you. “Kaeya…” you moaned, right before you hit your high. Pleasure wracked through your body, your walls tightening around him. There was no feeling better in the entire world than cumming hard around a fat cock.

Kaeya snapped and let out a long moan, his cock twitching inside you. Hot ropes of cum sprayed against your walls, causing you to tighten around his cock again. You held him tight until he collapsed on your chest, breathing hard. You chuckled and stroked his long hair for a minute until he rolled to the side and propped himself up on his elbow. You turned on your side to face him. You reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. He took your hand and turned his face to kiss your wrist. “And?” He asked. You neared him and kissed him softly. “If you think I’m done with you just yet, Captain, you’re mistaken.”

There was a brief moment where surprise crossed his face and then he smirked. “Was I that pleasurable that you already want more of me?” He cooed. You pushed on his shoulders and forced him flat on his back. You quickly straddle him and looked him in the eye. He had that charming crooked smile on his lips. “Perhaps you just haven’t given me my fill,” you replied cheekily, playing at his ego. He growled playfully and sat up, grabbing you around the waist. He started kissing your neck roughly, intermittently bitting. You yanked on his hair. He whimpered. You grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him back down. “Did I tell you, you could sit up?” You questioned. He laughed. “Oh ho ho,” he said. “Telling me what to do now, Star-fall?” You pressed your lips to his. “Quiet, unless you’re moaning for me.” He sucked on your bottom lip before releasing you.

You sat back up and positioned yourself over his cock. You took it into your hand. It wasn’t at all hard yet, but you didn’t care. Kaeya’s eyes widened as you lowered yourself onto him, pushing the cock deep inside you. “(Y/N)~,” he moaned. Regardless, the feeling of his cock stuffing you full was heavenly. Cum from your previous session seeped out of you and covered his base. He grabbed your hips and raised his legs so you were supported from behind. You bobbed up and down on his cock, your breasts bouncing lightly. Kayea grinned and raised a hand to your chest, twirling a nipple between his delicate fingers, occasionally pinching it. His other hand snaked to your clit where he started rubbing circles once more. Your walls clenched around him. He was already hard again in you.

You kept bouncing up and down on his hard cock, desperate for more and more pleasure. Kaeya could see the desperation in your face as you chased your high. “Go on Star-fall. Cum for me.” His words were like honey. You couldn’t hold back anymore. You threw your head back and cummed around his cock, your walls clenching tighter than ever. He moaned at the intense feeling, cumming not long after.

Breathing hard and now exhausted, you couldn’t bring yourself to pull yourself off his cock. Part of you didn’t want that full and stuffed feeling to go away. Kaeya reached and put both hands around your waist to help you off his body. His cock had been acting like a plug. As soon as he was out of you, cum seeped down your legs. He chuckled. “That’s a good look for you,” he teased. You collapsed on the bed next to him, drawing yourself to his muscular chest. “If you enjoy it that much, Captain, I expect you to make sure I appear that way more often.” He chuckled again, wrapping his arms around you and stroked your (H/C) hair. “Mmmmm, I think that can be arranged.” He kissed you softly on the forehead. “Sleep Star-fall. We can continue this tomorrow morning.”

[twinknote]

come into the water 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 rating: E

playlist

“I don’t think they have whales, Matt,” Mello cuts off his rambling. “You know how big of a tank a whale would need?” Matt seems to work on formulating an image in his mind, staring off blankly into space.

“Actually, I believe they do have beluga whales," Near adds. "They’re not all that much larger than dolphins.”

Matt turns to stick his tongue out at Mello, who rolls his eyes.

“Fine, maybe we’ll see some whales. So, that’s your final pick, Near?”

Near looks first to Mello, then to Matt. For the majority of his life, he’s felt so achingly alone. Now, somehow, he’s ended up with two partners who care for him so thoroughly, even if they can be slightly annoying and insane sometimes.

“Yes, that’s how I would like to spend the day,” Near confirms with a nod.

(The boys visit an aquarium for Near’s birthday.)

(HAPPY BDAY NEAR!!! this is my first fic ever so pls show me some love <3 the first two chapters are up and the last one aka smutty gay trans sex will be posted in the next few weeks)

[is-the-owl-video-cute]

I live in Florida and SeaWorld here has taken the charge of keeping conservation and rescues at the forefront despite the numerous budget cuts that Republican governors have dealt to our Fish and Wildlife departments. It's not ideal to have a corporation handle most of our coral reef preservation and our marine rescues, but SeaWorld genuinely has a lot of people who want to do good work. Thanks for having an open-minded discussion about this! It's appreciated.

It really is sad how much damage Blackfish dealt to their reputation because they really do a lot of good work for marine life but now people incorrectly view them as evil whale keepers. I see the phrase “the whales forced to live in tiny pools that are to them as small as a bathtub” which is. Not even a fair comparison and gives people an incorrect perspective on tank size.

There are also a lot of misinformed opinions by people who have no idea what they’re talking about and literally just zoomed in on google maps.

The circles area is a medical/station tank. It’s used when an orca needs to be examined for physical health and worked with where the others won’t get jealous or distract the one you’re working with. Orcas don’t spend a long time in there unless sick or injured. This is primarily where the bathtub line comes from. The orcas are rotated through the larger pools (5.8 million gallons) and given enrichment in the form of toys and training throughout the day to improve the quality of life.

This was the planned expansion that was cancelled due to ARAs pressuring the california government to impose restrictions on what seaworld could do with the whales as an ultimatum. These restrictions were not based on AZA standard or best interest based on scientific understanding of the species, but instead based on what the ARAs demanded. It’s a shame and I hope they are able to see this dream become a reality someday but I have doubts.

Pardon the tiny image size, but comparing the orca tank to the parking lot was a popular peta campaign as well. Which ignored the fact that an aquarium the size of a parking lot cannot be maintained with modern technology nor would health checks be possible to perform safely NOR would it be an affordable renovation— maintaining an aquarium that size would practically bankrupt Elon Musk. Not that that would be a bad way to use his money Mind you, but it’s largely infeasible. It’s a huge facility and unfortunately the US is car-dependent so there must be spots to park. I too wish that we could have trains and buses like everywhere else that remove this issue, I’m sure seaworld itself would ALSO like to not have to waste so much space on a parking lot. This not even getting into the fact that in the US, let me emphasize this, but MOST PARKING LOTS HERE ARE NOT OWNED BY THE FACILITY THEY EXIST BY THEY ARE GENERALLY OWNED BY THE STATE. Which means that part of the property may not even technically belong to seaworld.

[pocket-luv101]

Desert Roses // Chapter 4

Fandom: Genshin Impact Ship: CynoNari

Summary: Cyno and Tighnari have an arranged marriage to end the conflict between the desert and rainforest. Later, Tighnari discovers a box that could hold the truth behind the disappearance of the Scarlet King and the Goddess of Flowers.

Ch.1 // Ch.2 // Ch.3 // (Ch.4) // Ch.5 // Ch.6 //

Cyno never realized how small his room could feel until he had to share it with Tighnari. The king provided them with an extravagant room because he was the General Mahamatra. The corner of his room could now be mistaken for a rainforest with the vines growing up the wall. For his research, Tighnari cultivated different plants and recorded their growth. Tighnari stood in front of a glass tank and drew a diagram of the roots that grew inside.

“The modification to the fertilizer should promote root health and help the tree grow larger. It should also be able to bear more fruits. I should send these to Mama so the rainforest can test this on a larger scale.” Tighnari muttered his findings out loud. He looked over his shoulder to Cyno on the other side of the room. He drew his attention away from the report he was reading. “Can I ask you something, Cyno?”

Tighnari walked to his side with a book. “I found a few books about the plants that grow in the desert but there is only so much I can learn from them. I have a few questions for you? Botany isn’t your expertise but can you tell me if there are agricultural problems in the desert. I can research solutions. My current project is almost complete and I want to start a new one. Though, I’ll need to set up a new conservatory in our room to test my theories.”

“I was going to give you this tomorrow but now might be a better time.” Cyno took out a key from his desk and held it out to Tighnari. “I asked Kaveh to give you permission to use the greenhouse for your work. Our bedroom won’t be able to fit more research equipment. He agreed on the condition that you provide flowers that he can use to decorate the palace. I told him I would talk to you about it.”

“A greenhouse? That’s certainly a larger research facility for me to use. Will there be plants from both the rainforest and the desert? This is the best opportunity to study them.” Tighnari’s tail swayed quickly in his excitement. He wrapped his hand around Cyno but he didn’t take the key immediately. Hesitation briefly passed over his face. “Did you ask Kaveh to give me a key because my work is cluttering our room?”

“No. When I found you asleep next to the oasis, I thought it was better if you had a safe place to research plants. You can’t fall asleep outside, it’s dangerous. Beyond the night being cold, someone could’ve attacked you.” Cyno didn’t voice the second reason he asked Kaveh to give Tighnari access to the greenhouse. He saw how much he loved botany.

Tighnari was glad that his work wouldn’t affect their marriage. As important as their relationship was to the desert and rainforest, he didn’t want to give up botany. He slipped the key from Cyno’s hand and laughed nervously. “This might sound selfish but I’d like to continue growing a few flowers here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“There’s more than enough space for us and your plants.” Cyno had to admit that his room felt more like a home after Tighnari filled it with plants and incense. Since he travelled often as a military leader, he was more accustomed to sleeping outside than in a bed.

“My mother told me that marriages are full of compromise so I’ll only keep the smaller plants here.” Tighnari said. He took Cyno’s hand and lightly tugged him to his feet. “Can you take me to the greenhouse? I want to see the plants there. I can also make plans for which plant to move there. Collei will also benefit if I hold my classes there.”

Cyno found himself swept away by Tighnari and he followed him out of their room. Tighnari wore a serious expression during his experiments but his current smile made it clear that he loved flowers. “Candace is the guardian of Aaru Village and she’ll be able to explain their agriculture better than I can. Though, I’ll need to speak with King Humayun for permission to leave my post and take you there.”

Tighnari recalled meeting Candace at the banquet. She was kind and he could see himself becoming friends with her. His life in the desert was better than he expected when he agreed to a political marriage. He was worried he wouldn’t have the freedom to pursue his work but Cyno offered to take him to a greenhouse and Aaru village.

“You’ve done a lot for me, Cyno. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“We’re married and I want you to be happy here in the desert. That’s the foundation of our treaty.”

“Welcome to my masterpiece! I’ve outdone myself with the greenhouse’s design. No expense was spared to create this botanical garden and I requested Dori to import flowers from around the world.” As an architect, Kaveh was all too happy to proudly show people the greenhouse. He oversaw the building’s creation from simple lines on a page to the planting of each flower. He expected Tighnari to appreciate the layout of the flowers since he was a botanist.

However, Tighnari stood silently in the doorway. Cyno was also confused by his lack of reaction considering his lonely expression in the oasis. His stomach felt uneasy and he hoped that he hadn’t misjudged the situation. Did the greenhouse worsen Tighnari’s homesickness? As the question passed his mind, Cyno realized how important Tighnari’s feelings were becoming to him.

Tighnari walked through the glass archway and followed the path to the Pristine Vessel that stood as the centerpiece of the garden. The white flowers towered over him and he needed to tilt his head back to see the tip of the petals. Usually, he would list facts about the plant and the best environment to grow them. At that moment, he only wanted to breathe in the subtle scent. He was home among the trees once more.

He reached up the Pristine Vessel responded to his dendro vision by bowing its head. Golden dust fell from the petals and landed in Tighnari’s dark hair. He felt someone’s fingers in his hair and he turned to find Cyno brushing the pollen from his ear. Their gaze met and Cyno counted the different colours in Tighnari’s eyes. They reflected the rainforest around them.

Tighnari smiled up at him. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s truly stunning.”

He walked deeper into the botanic garden to explore the building further. As he took in the familiar environment of thick trees and colourful flowers, his expression slowly relaxed. A nostalgic smile spread across his lips. Tighnari had already decided to make a new home in the desert but being able to see the rainforest again was a comfort.

His ears twitched when he heard the leaves rustle. Sound echoed easily in the building but he could determine its direction with his sharp hearing. Neither Cyno nor Kaveh were the source of the footsteps. Tighnari scanned the greenhouse for what could’ve caused the sound but they appeared to be alone. He brushed off the strange sound.

“There’s a large space in the back that’s unused and I can set up a desk and conservatory here. I would like to have a bookcase to hold my notes but it’ll block the light from entering the greenhouse.” Tighnari listed things he would need to create a study in the greenhouse. “For now, we can start with the tables. My equipment is heavy so I will bring them down tomorrow.”

“I can arrange the furniture so it doesn’t clash with the layout of the greenhouse. Who better to do so than the person who designed this building?” Kaveh’s offer wasn’t merely out of kindness. He took pride in his work and his effort would be wasted if Tighnari’s study didn’t match his vision for the building. “Just give me a day to draw the blueprints. Go and admire the flowers until I’m done.”

“If you insist.” Tighnari was eager to see the rest of the greenhouse so he relented to Kaveh’s request. Then, a thought made him pause. “Kaveh, may I ask you something. You’re an architect and you mentioned the temple buried beneath the palace. Is there a way to access the temple? If it’s not possible, I would like to see records of the temple.”

“That temple was built before the Scarlet King’s death so I doubt there are many blueprints or records of its construction.” Kaveh told him. Even though Tighnari already reasoned it would be difficult to learn more about the temple, he was still disappointed by his answer. “Is there something you wish to know about it? I am friends with a few scholars who might have answers.”

“I can hear the water flooding the underground temple at night.” His ears twitched as he answered him. The brief journey through the halls left Tighnari with questions. Could desert roses have survived in that temple despite centuries passing? Did the box send them back to a time before they were extinct? He could answer if he saw the temple again but that was seemingly impossible.

“Tighnari, what are these flowers called?” Cyno’s question pulled Tighnari out of his shoulders. He held up a yellow flower that often grew on cactuses. Since Cyno didn’t show much interest in plants, Tighnari knew that he intended to distract him with the flower. The thoughtfulness touched his heart and he took the flower from him. “Do you know when it’s impossible to plant seeds? When you haven’t botany.”

“Botany like ‘bought any’ seeds? Your puns won’t become funny just because it’s about a subject that I enjoy.” The joke wasn’t funny to Tighnari yet a small chuckle escaped him. He slipped the flower behind his ear. Tighnari’s clothes were accented with colourful accessories like the yellow flower and Cyno thought they suited him well. “Let’s explore the greenhouse. The building is large enough that it can be considered a forest.”

Cyno entered the council room that King Humayun reserved for strategizing war and defense. He had hoped he wouldn’t need to stand within those four walls now that the desert and rainforest had a peace treaty. The king requested a meeting with him and Cyno wondered what it could be for. His concern only grew when he found Rahman waiting inside with King Humayun. The mercenary never made it a secret that he didn’t trust Tighnari or the rainforest.

“King Humayun, I have received your summons.” Cyno greeted the king with a respectful bow. He watched Rahman in the corner of his eyes and tried to analyze his intent from his posture. Rahman stood with a guarded stance and his mouth was pressed into a firm frown. Neither of them trusted the other but they couldn’t voice that in front of their king.

“I wish to discuss your marriage to the Valuka Shuna so you are clear on its purpose. The war has ended on paper but it is naïve to let down our guard. It’s your duty to watch for signs that he or the rainforest will betray us. Your mate may have agreed to the terms of our peace treaty but that doesn’t make him entirely trustworthy.” King Humayun reminded him.

Cyno bit his tongue to stop himself from correcting the king that he should refer to Tighnari by his name. He became the General Mahamatra to protect the people of the desert. He vowed to serve the king but he would argue with him if his order went against his principles. However, that became more complicated since he agreed to marry Tighnari. He needed to be more careful with his words or else it could affect their treaty.

“The General Mahamatra has been too lax with the fox.” Rahman said. “He allowed him to have a key to the greenhouse. It’s dangerous to give a botanist access to those plants. There’s a chance he could make poison. He has seduced the caravan to take him on the next expedition to Aaru village. I overheard them discussing the trip in the greenhouse.”

“Tighnari isn’t the type to manipulate people.” Cyno didn’t raise his voice but his anger resonated in his tone. “I was the one to suggest we travel to Aaru Village. He wants to study botany and his experiments can help our crops. It’s beneficial for everyone.”

“He may be collecting information with the intent to betray us. Why else would he ask Kaveh for the palace’s blueprints? The rainforest will be able to attack us easier if they knew the layout of our defenses.” Rahman argued and Cyno’s eyes narrowed at his words. He doubted that Kaveh told him about their conversation so he must’ve been watching Tighnari since the banquet.

“We have their Valuka Shuna as a political hostage so the rainforest cannot attack us directly without retribution. However, Rahman is right to be wary. I will command the guards to monitor him and restrict his access to the greenhouse.” King Humayun said and stood from his desk. “If you two have more concerns about this alliance, please give them to my advisor.”

The smile Tighnari wore as he walked through the greenhouse appeared in Cyno’s mind. Before he could think better of arguing with a king, he said: “Tighnari will not betray us so you can trust him. Treating him like a prisoner will only push him back to the rainforest. He only asked about the blueprints because he thinks desert roses are growing underneath the palace.”

“An obvious lie.” Rahman rolled his eyes. “Those roses have been extinct for years and a botanist should know that.”

Cyno thought over how he should tell the two of the golden box and the temple beneath the palace. They were wary of Tighnari and they would restrict him further if they knew that the box allowed him to leave the palace. Even though the box’s abilities were still a mystery to them, the king would see it as a threat.

“Tighnari believes they may still exist.” He started carefully. “His interest in desert flowers is a sign that he intends to live here and honour the alliance.”

“That’s a reasonable approach to maintaining our alliance.” King Humayun hummed thoughtfully. Behind him, Rahman grunted with disapproval but he quickly feigned a cough to disguise his true feelings. He couldn’t openly argue with their ruler without being disrespectful and risk losing his position. Then, the king continued: “But you cannot give him so much sway over you, Cyno. Your loyalty is to our kingdom and not a political marriage.”

“I will do what is best to maintain the peace between our land.” He nodded.

“Tighnari can continue to use the greenhouse for his research but I want a guard posted outside so he can’t smuggle dangerous plants into the palace. You are forbidden to take him outside of the walls, let alone Aaru Village.” The compromise was more than Cyno in such a complicated situation. He didn’t bow his head before he turned to leave the room.

Rahman followed him out of the room. They didn’t stop to speak with each other but, as they passed each other, he said: “Remind that fox of the reason desert roses are extinct. His god killed the Scarlet King.”

Tighnari locked the door to the greenhouse as he left. There were species in the garden that he couldn’t find in the rainforest and their unique characteristics fascinated him. He almost lost track of time studying the plants in the greenhouse. He would’ve fallen asleep researching again but then he thought of Cyno. When Cyno told him about the greenhouse that morning, he mentioned that he found him in the garden. He carried him back to their room. He didn’t want to worry him by sleeping in the greenhouse.

As he walked closer to the training area, Tighnari heard the sound of fighting. He wondered who could be awake at such a late hour. The lamps were lit and he could see Cyno sparing with a wooden post. Tighnari watched him fight and the fluid swing of his spear. He had to admit that he found Cyno handsome. Beyond his attractiveness and strength, their time in the temple showed him that Cyno was intelligent with bad jokes. Would they become friends if they met under different circumstances?

Tighnari leaned against the short wall and called out to Cyno. “It’s late. I’m in no position to lecture you because I’m also staying up late for work too but I want to remind you that it’s bad for your health. Let’s head back to our room and retire for the night. Or, would you like to spar with me instead of a post? I’m not trained to fight like the Matra but I’m better practise than a wooden dummy.”

“I saw you teach Collei how to use a bow. That’s more suited to long distance combat and sparring hand-to-hand is different.” Cyno lowered his spear and walked to where Tighnari stood. “I warned you that the desert is dangerous but you don’t need to worry about training. I will protect you.”

He said the vow so easily and it made Tighnari blush. He reminded himself that Cyno was the General Mahamatra and it was his duty to protect everyone within the palace. “I appreciate that but it’s unrealistic for you to stay by my side just to protect me. When I was in the Forest Watch, I was no stranger to fighting so you shouldn’t underestimate me. I offered to spar with you so we can both practise.”

“Okay, shall we spar?” Cyno was curious to see how strong Tighnari was in a fight. He held out his hand to help Tighnari over the fence and into the training area. When he placed his hand in his, his slender hand appeared delicate. However, he could feel the callous that formed from wielding a bow. Tighnari was like a rose with thorns, beautiful and resilient.